Fired Technician Accused Of Cutting Internet To 100 Customers

BOSTON, MA — A former technician for a Foxborough internet provider was indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday after police said he cut the internet service of over 100 customers after the company fired him.

Colby Anderson, 25, of Brockton, was charged with intentionally causing damage to a protected computer without authorization. In July 2018, Anderson was an employee at Blueport Wireless, a company that provides high-speed internet for businesses in the hospitality industry. On July 11, Anderson was fired after he was caught smoking inside Blueport's Foxborough facility, and FBI affidavit said.

In August 2018, Blueport received complaints from clients about internet outages. Blueport discovered that someone deleted over 100 customer profiles, using another employees login credentials, Mass Live reported. According to court documents, Anderson used that employee's account because the password was still set as the company's default.

“According to Blueport Wireless, over $50,000 was spent on around the clock employee labor in an attempt to rectify the issues caused by the changes to the customer’s ElevenOS and PRTG accounts and the resulting wireless outages,” FBI Special Agent Michael Bordini wrote in the affidavit.

Anderson was arrested last October after police traced the IP address to a 93 Guild Road in Brockton, the affidavit said. Investigators found that Anderson was renting a room in the basement, and narrowed him down as the only resident who previously worked for Blueport, the Brockton Enterprise reported.

If convicted, Anderson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison with three years probation.

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