Latest news with #EGodly
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
One of Elon Musk's DOGE Kids Reportedly Helped a Cybercrime Ring
The teenage Department of Government Efficiency employee who goes by the online moniker of — no, we are not kidding — "Big Balls" once helped out a serious cybercrime ring, Reuters reports. In 2022, when he was still in high school, the now 19-year-old Edward Coristine ran a company called DiamondCDN that provided a type of web service known as a content delivery network. One of its users was a website belonging to a group of cybercriminals known as "EGodly," which openly bragged about trafficking stolen data and cyberstalking an FBI agent. (DiamondCDN probably attracted the hacking outfit because its website promised it had "no business inspecting user content.") Ruthless hackers they may be, the "EGodly" blackhats were courteous enough to let Coristine know just how much they appreciated his company's help. "We extend our gratitude to our valued partners DiamondCDN for generously providing us with their amazing DDoS protection and caching systems, which allow us to securely host and safeguard our website," the cybercriminal ring wrote in a Telegram message, as quoted by Reuters. Coristine, and his irreverent nickname, have become emblematic of Elon Musk's DOGE effort to blitzkrieg the federal government with next to no oversight. Plenty of scrutiny has been cast on the qualifications of its extraordinarily young staff, who are nonetheless being granted alarming access to sensitive federal systems, with high positions in government to boot. Coristine, for instance, is listed as a "senior adviser" at the State Department and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Reuters found. Seemingly, little has been done to vet these arch-auditors. One resigned — and then was rehired — after his incredibly racist tweets surfaced. Another, it was discovered, professionally sold ketamine. Coristine himself was once fired by a cybersecurity firm for leaking its company secrets. Now you can add another skeleton to Coristine's formidable closet. The cybercriminal group that his firm provided services to, EGodly, has claimed that it's stolen crypto, hijacked phone numbers, and broken into law enforcement email accounts in Latin America and Eastern Europe. These claims couldn't be independently verified by Reuters. What is verifiable, however, was that the group targeted a former FBI agent who it believed was investigating them. It began by digging up and sharig personal information on the agent, like where he lived, according to Reuters. Eventually, one member filmed themselves driving past his house, screaming "EGodly says you're a bitch!" According to the former agent, the FBI was investigating Egodly because of its connection to swatting, or calling in a fake emergency so that law enforcement send a heavily armed team to a location. "These are bad folks," the former FBI agent said. "They're not a pleasant group." While it doesn't appear that Coristine was deeply involved with the group, that this suspect part of his history seemingly didn't preclude him from tampering with federal systems should be alarming. "This stuff was not in the distant past," Nitin Natarajan, who served as the deputy director of CISA under president Joe Biden, told Reuters. "The recency of the activity and the types of groups he was associated would definitely be concerning." More on DOGE: The Guy Who Predicted the 2008 Crash Issues Warning About Elon Musk Torpedoing Federal Spending
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
A DOGE staffer working as a ‘senior advisor' in the government's cybersecurity agency once provided tech support to a cybercrime ring
Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old DOGE member, has been linked to a cybercrime group through his former company, DiamondCDN. Coristine has been listed as an adviser in multiple U.S. government agencies, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. A member of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) appears to have provided tech support to a cybercrime group known as EGodly. Edward Coristine, also known by his nickname "Big Balls," has been linked to the cybercrime group through a company he ran called DiamondCDN. According to corporate and digital records reviewed by Reuters and Telegram messages seen by Fortune, EGodly was one of the company's users. The group publicly thanked Coristine's company for its assistance in a post on its Telegram channel on Feb. 15, 2023. "We extend our gratitude to our valued partners DiamondCDN for generously providing us with their amazing DDoS protection and caching systems, which allow us to securely host and safeguard our website," the message read. An FBI agent who had contact with EGodly told Reuters the group had been investigated due to a connection with swatting, a practice of making false emergency calls in an attempt to send SWAT teams to targeted addresses. He called EGodly "not a pleasant group," referring to the members as "bad folks." In other messages shared on the Telegram channel and reviewed by Fortune, the group can also be seen selling people's private PII (Personally Identifiable Information), boasting about hacking government emails and cyberstalking an FBI agent. In one post, the group advertised "Brazil government emails" for sale, telling members they could use the addresses to get information on users by sending data requests to the support of platforms. In one video posted by the account, a car drove past what appeared to be the FBI agent's house while someone screamed out the window: "EGodly says you're a bitch!" An analysis of digital records conducted by Reuters found that between October 2022 and June 2023, the EGodly website, was linked to IP addresses associated with DiamondCDN and other businesses owned by Coristine. During this period, some visitors to the site encountered a DiamondCDN "Security check," the outlet reported. Representatives for the State Department and DiamondCDN did not immediately return requests for comment from Fortune. The department and Coristine did not reply to Reuters comment requests either. Coristine's role within the government is not entirely clear. The 19-year-old was most recently a freshman mechanical engineering and physics major at Boston's Northeastern University until joining Elon Musk's cost-cutting team at DOGE. He also worked briefly at Musk's brain implant company Neuralink. According to Reuters, he's listed as a "senior adviser" at the State Department as well as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. He's also been linked to the Department of Homeland Security by a Washington Post report. Wired has also reported that Coristine is listed as one of several 'experts' at the Office of Personnel Management, the government's HR department. Although Coristine's link to EGodly may have been brief, Nitin Natarajan—formerly the deputy director of CISA under President Joe Biden—expressed concern about the teenager now being part of a team with extensive access to government systems. "This stuff was not in the distant past," Natarajan told Reuters. "The recency of the activity and the types of groups he was associated would definitely be concerning." It's also not the first time Coristine has made headlines for his past associations. Last month, Bloomberg reported that he was previously fired from an internship at Path Network for reportedly leaking information to competitors. Coristine later denied doing anything "contractually wrong' while working at Path Network via a post on Discord, per Bloomberg. This story was originally featured on
Ya Libnan
27-03-2025
- Business
- Ya Libnan
DOGE staffer ‘Big Balls' provided tech support to cybercrime ring, records show, Reuters
Elon Musk listens to U.S. President Donald Trump speak in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo By Raphael Satter WILMINGTON, Delaware, March 26 (Reuters) – The best-known member of Elon Musk's U.S. DOGE Service team of technologists once provided support to a cybercrime gang that bragged about trafficking in stolen data and cyberstalking an FBI agent, according to digital records reviewed by Reuters. Edward Coristine is among the most visible members of the DOGE effort that has been given sweeping access to official networks as it attempts to radically downsize the U.S. government. Last month that 'Big Balls is awesome.' Beginning around 2022, while still in high school, Coristine ran a company that provided network services, according to corporate and digital records reviewed by Reuters and interviews with half a dozen former associates. Among its users was a website run by a ring of cybercriminals operating under the name 'EGodly,' according to digital records preserved by the internet intelligence firm DomainTools and the online cybersecurity tool The details of Coristine's connection to EGodly have not been previously reported. On Feb. 15, 2023, EGodly thanked Coristine's company for its assistance in a post on the Telegram messaging app. 'We extend our gratitude to our valued partners DiamondCDN for generously providing us with their amazing DDoS protection and caching systems, which allow us to securely host and safeguard our website,' the message said. The digital records reviewed by Reuters showed the EGodly website, was tied to internet protocol addresses registered to DiamondCDN and other Coristine-owned entities between October 2022 and June 2023, and that some users attempting to access the site around that time would hit a DiamondCDN 'Security check.' Coristine did not return messages seeking comment. Musk's team, which has adopted the name 'Department of Government Efficiency' though it is not an official government department, did not respond to emails about Coristine. He is listed as a 'senior adviser' at the State Department and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, according to one official at each agency who told Reuters they had seen his name in their respective agencies' staff directory. On LinkedIn, Coristine describes himself as a 'Volunteer (Intern) Plumber' with the U.S. government. The State Department did not return messages asking about Coristine. CISA, which is responsible for protecting federal government networks from cybercriminals and foreign spies, declined comment. EGodly's Telegram channel has been inactive for the past year; attempts to elicit comment from eight people who participated in or interacted with EGodly were unsuccessful. 'THESE ARE BAD FOLKS' DiamondCDN's website – CDN typically stands for 'content delivery network' – was registered in mid-2022, according to records collected by DomainTools. It pitched itself as offering 'excellent security tools' that would help 'lower your infrastructure costs,' according to the site maintained by the Internet Archive. The site said the company 'has no business inspecting user content.' In 2023, EGodly boasted on its Telegram channel of hijacking phone numbers, breaking into unspecified law enforcement email accounts in Latin America and Eastern Europe, and cryptocurrency theft. Early that year, the group distributed the personal details of an FBI agent who they said was investigating them, circulating his phone number, photographs of his house, and other private details on Telegram. EGodly also posted an audio recording of an obscene prank call made to the agent's phone and a video, shot from the inside of a car, of an unknown party driving by the agent's house in Wilmington, Delaware at night and screaming out the window, 'EGodly says you're a bitch!' Reuters could not independently verify EGodly's boasts of cybercriminal activity, including its claims to have hijacked phone numbers or infiltrated law enforcement emails. But it was able to authenticate the video by visiting the same Wilmington address and comparing the building to the one in the footage. The FBI agent targeted by EGodly, who is now retired, told Reuters that the group had drawn law enforcement attention because of its connection to swatting, the dangerous practice of making hoax emergency calls to send armed officers swarming targeted addresses. The agent didn't go into detail. Reuters is not identifying him out of concern for further harassment. 'These are bad folks,' the former agent said. 'They're not a pleasant group.' He declined to comment further about the harassment or whether EGodly had been or still was the subject of an FBI investigation. The FBI didn't return messages seeking comment on EGodly. Reuters was not able to ascertain how long EGodly used DiamondCDN, or whether EGodly paid Coristine's company. Archived copies of DiamondCDN's website said the firm envisioned having both paying and nonpaying customers. Another individual who has been subject to abuse from EGodly and a cybercrime researcher who has followed the group said it was composed of hardened fraudsters, citing the group's makeup and the credibility of its claims. Both asked not to be identified, citing fears of retaliation. Even if the connection between Coristine and EGodly were fleeting, Nitin Natarajan, who served as the deputy director of CISA under former President Joe Biden, told Reuters it was worrying that someone who provided services to EGodly only two years ago was part of a group that has gained wide access to government networks. 'This stuff was not in the distant past,' he said. 'The recency of the activity and the types of groups he was associated would definitely be concerning.' Reuters
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘Big Balls' gave tech support to criminal group that cyberstalked an FBI agent, report says
Elon Musk's teen protege, known online as 'Big Balls,' provided tech support to a criminal gang that cyberstalked an FBI agent two years before working at the Department of Government Efficiency, a new report alleges. Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old Northeastern University drop-out, is part of a group of young DOGE engineers who have been given access to critical computer systems as part of the Trump administration's efforts to gut the federal government. According to corporate records reviewed by Reuters, in June 2022, while still in high school, Coristine founded the network services company DiamondCDN. Per the report published Wednesday, its services were used by a ring of cybercriminals operating under the name 'EGodly' between October 2022 and June 2023. Users attempting to access the EGodly website would allegedly hit a DiamondCDN 'security check.' The group is believed to have boasted that it hijacked phone numbers and law enforcement emails across Latin America and Eastern Europe, in addition to committing cryptocurrency theft. In early 2023, the group distributed the personal details of an FBI agent—including his phone number and photographs of his residence in Wilmington, Delaware—on the secure messaging app Telegram after the group claimed he was investigating them. The cybergang posted audio of a prank call made to the agent's phone along with a drive-by video harassing him outside his house, according to the report. 'EGodly says you're a b****!' one person screamed. The agent, who is now retired, told Reuters the group attracted law enforcement attention due to a practice known as 'swatting,' which involves making hoax emergency calls to send SWAT teams to a targeted address. Former deputy director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Nitin Natarajan shared his concern that Coristine provided services to the criminal group just two years before joining DOGE. 'This stuff was not in the distant past, the recency of the activity and the types of groups he was associated would definitely be concerning,' he said. After dropping out of college, Coristine briefly worked in Silicon Valley, but he was fired from a cybersecurity internship last year for allegedly leaking insider information to a rival company. He was also accused of frequenting Telegram and Discord communities that are linked to cybercrime. He now finds himself serving under the world's richest man as a 'senior adviser' to the State Department and Department of Homeland Security, with access to highly sensitive information about working American diplomats and those involved in national security and counterterrorism operations. Coristine still describes himself on his LinkedIn profile as a 'Volunteer (Intern) Plumber' with the U.S. government. His profile also says that he worked a four-month internship at Musk's neurotechnology company, Neurolink. Coristine is also the grandson of KGB officer-turned-FBI informant Valery Fedorovich Martynov, who was executed in the Soviet Union as a double agent in 1987, according to freelance journalist Jacob Silverman. Alarm bells rang after reports first surfaced about Coristine's access to sensitive government material. 'Who the hell voted for – excuse the phrase – a guy who calls himself 'Big Balls,'' Democratic strategist Paul Begala CNN's The Source earlier this month. 'A 19-year-old kid going in there and trying to fire cancer researchers and scientists and teachers and agricultural specialists? It's appalling.'
The Independent
26-03-2025
- The Independent
‘Big Balls' gave tech support to criminal group that cyberstalked an FBI agent, report says
Elon Musk's teen protege, known online as 'Big Balls,' provided tech support to a criminal gang that cyberstalked an FBI agent two years before working at the Department of Government Efficiency, a new report alleges. Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old Northeastern University drop-out, is part of a group of young DOGE engineers who have been given access to critical computer systems as part of the Trump administration 's efforts to gut the federal government. According to corporate records reviewed by Reuters, in June 2022, while still in high school, Coristine founded the network services company DiamondCDN. Per the report published Wednesday, its services were used by a ring of cybercriminals operating under the name 'EGodly' between October 2022 and June 2023. Users attempting to access the EGodly website would allegedly hit a DiamondCDN 'security check.' The group is believed to have boasted that it hijacked phone numbers and law enforcement emails across Latin America and Eastern Europe, in addition to committing cryptocurrency theft. In early 2023, the group distributed the personal details of an FBI agent—including his phone number and photographs of his residence in Wilmington, Delaware—on the secure messaging app Telegram after the group claimed he was investigating them. The cybergang posted audio of a prank call made to the agent's phone along with a drive-by video harassing him outside his house, according to the report. 'EGodly says you're a b****!' one person screamed. The agent, who is now retired, told Reuters the group attracted law enforcement attention due to a practice known as 'swatting,' which involves making hoax emergency calls to send SWAT teams to a targeted address. Former deputy director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Nitin Natarajan shared his concern that Coristine provided services to the criminal group just two years before joining DOGE. 'This stuff was not in the distant past, the recency of the activity and the types of groups he was associated would definitely be concerning,' he said. After dropping out of college, Coristine briefly worked in Silicon Valley, but he was fired from a cybersecurity internship last year for allegedly leaking insider information to a rival company. He was also accused of frequenting Telegram and Discord communities that are linked to cybercrime. He now finds himself serving under the world's richest man as a 'senior adviser' to the State Department and Department of Homeland Security, with access to highly sensitive information about working American diplomats and those involved in national security and counterterrorism operations. Coristine still describes himself on his LinkedIn profile as a 'Volunteer (Intern) Plumber' with the U.S. government. His profile also says that he worked a four-month internship at Musk's neurotechnology company, Neurolink. Coristine is also the grandson of KGB officer-turned-FBI informant Valery Fedorovich Martynov, who was executed in the Soviet Union as a double agent in 1987, according to freelance journalist Jacob Silverman. Alarm bells rang after reports first surfaced about Coristine's access to sensitive government material. 'Who the hell voted for – excuse the phrase – a guy who calls himself 'Big Balls,'' Democratic strategist Paul Begala CNN's The Source earlier this month. 'A 19-year-old kid going in there and trying to fire cancer researchers and scientists and teachers and agricultural specialists? It's appalling.'
