Musk associate under fire for ties to hacker group EGodly
Edward Coristine, a member of Elon Musk's team and known by the nickname "Big Balls," has reportedly provided technical services to the cybercriminal group EGodly. What are the implications of these actions?
What you need to know
- Who is Edward Coristine? He is a member of the Government Efficiency Department (DOGE) created by Elon Musk. He previously provided technical services to the cybercriminal group EGodly.
- EGodly is known for stealing data, including phone numbers and cryptocurrencies, and hacking into the email accounts of justice authorities.
- Former Deputy Director of CISA, Nitin Natarajan, expressed concerns about someone with such a background having access to government networks.
Coristine's connections to EGodly
Edward Coristine, known by the pseudonym "Big Balls," is a member of the DOGE technical team and had broad access to government networks. In 2022, while still a student, he ran a company called DiamondCDN that provided network services. Among its clients was the website of the group EGodly, which is known for data theft and hacking into email accounts.
EGodly group's activities
The EGodly group, active on Telegram, boasted about seizing phone numbers and stealing cryptocurrencies. They also released private data of an FBI agent investigating them. While Reuters could not verify these claims, an FBI agent confirmed the group was suspected of making false reports. "These are bad folks," said the agent, whose name was withheld to avoid further harassment, "They're not a pleasant group."
What are the consequences for Coristine?
Edward Coristine, now a 19-year-old "senior advisor" to the State Department and CISA, did not respond to requests for comment. His past raises concerns, particularly since he now has extensive access to government networks. Nitin Natarajan, the former Deputy Director of CISA, emphasized that even past connections to EGodly are troubling. The State Department and CISA did not comment on the matter.
