FROM PRISON TO PENTAGON: Previously Convicted Muslim Brothers Hired Back, Destroying Federal Systems, U.S. Databases Wiped at Multiple Fed Agencies

How did this happen?

The scale of the damage is staggering — but the truly terrifying part is this: these jihadis had already been convicted of hacking federal systems once before, served prison time, and were still trusted again with privileged access to government data. Now prosecutors say they used that access to wipe nearly 100 databases, steal IRS and EEOC records, compromise Homeland Security systems, and even deploy AI to cover their tracks. This isn’t just a cybercrime story — it’s a catastrophic indictment of federal vetting, contractor oversight, and national-security safeguards. When convicted hackers can cycle straight back into the heart of America’s digital infrastructure, the threat isn’t hypothetical anymore. The system meant to protect the public has become a revolving door for insiders who already proved they can’t be trusted — and the next breach could be far worse.

Twins with hacking history charged in insider data breach affecting multiple federal agencies

Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter previously pleaded guilty to hacking into the State Department and other cybercrimes in 2015.

By: Cyberscoop, DecembEr 7, 2025:

Twin brothers Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter were arrested in Alexandria, Va., Wednesday for allegedly stealing and destroying government data held by a government contractor minutes after they were fired from the company earlier this year, the Justice Department said.

Prosecutors accuse the 34-year-old brothers of the crimes during a weeklong spree in February, compromising data from multiple federal agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, Internal Revenue Service and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Authorities did not name the federal government contractor, which provides services and hosts data for more than 45 federal agencies, but the company was previously identified as Washington-based Opexus in a Bloomberg report about the insider attack earlier this year. Opexus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The brothers are no strangers to law enforcement, the hacking community and government contract work.  They previously pleaded guilty in 2015 to wire fraud and conspiring to hack into the State Department and other crimes while they were employed as contractors for federal agencies. Muneeb Akhter was sentenced to 39 months in prison and Sohaib Akhter was sentenced to 24 months in prison at that time.

An investigation aided by more than 20 federal agencies and specialized units alleges the brothers were back at it a decade later, committing cybercrime with privileged access and technical expertise gained from their employment at a government contractor.

“These defendants abused their positions as federal contractors to attack government databases and steal sensitive government information,” Matthew R. Galeotti, acting assistant attorney general with the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said in a statement. “Their actions jeopardized the security of government systems and disrupted agencies’ ability to serve the American people.”

Muneeb Akhter is accused of deleting approximately 96 databases storing U.S. government information hosted by Opexus, including sensitive investigative files and records related to Freedom of Information Act matters, prosecutors said in an indictment.

Muneeb Akhter also allegedly deleted a Homeland Security production database, copied more than 1,800 files belonging to EEOC and stole copies of IRS records including personally identifiable information on at least 450 people.

Authorities also accused Muneeb Akhter of using an artificial intelligence tool for assistance throughout his alleged conspiracy, querying the tool for advice on how to clear system logs from SQL servers after deleting databases and how to clear all event and application logs from Microsoft Windows Server 2012.

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