Former Foxborough IT Worker Sentenced On Hacking Charges

FOXBOROUGH, MA — A former technician for a Foxborough internet provider will face jail time after federal prosecutors proved he hacked into the profiles of over 100 customers and cut their internet service. Colby Anderson, 25, of Brockton, pleaded guilty in May to causing damage to a protected computer without authorization.

He was sentenced to four months in prison and four months of home confinement with two years of probation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Prosecutors requested Andereson pay $70,725 in restitution, but the amount will be determined at a later court date, the Sun Chronicle reported.

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, according to an FBI affidavit.

In August 2018, Blueport received complaints from clients about internet outages. Blueport discovered that someone deleted 120 customer profiles, using another employees login credentials, federal prosecutors said. 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.