Former Gautrain techie gets 10 years for installing spyware to steal millions

Hanno Labuschagne

Hanno Labuschagne

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Former Gautrain techie gets 10 years for installing spyware to steal millions

The Johannesburg Specialised Crimes Court has sentenced a former IT technician to an effective 10 years in prison for attempting to steal millions from the Gautrain company, News24 reports.

Obakeng Israel Busang had installed spyware on Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) computers which was to be used to siphon off funds from the company’s account.

On Monday, he was convicted on 38 counts of contravening Section 86 (4) of the Electronic Communication and Transactions Act.
 
What's the bet that the "syndicate" that hired him is the same bunch that got the contracts to upgrade security afterwards?
 
What's the problem?

I was reliably informed that securing contractors based on the brilliance that is BEEEEEE policy would produce better outcomes for all... which this did... well.. mostly...

It certainly spread the wealth around a bit...
 
rustypup said:
What's the problem?

I was reliably informed that securing contractors based on the brilliance that is BEEEEEE policy would produce better outcomes for all... which this did... well.. mostly...

It certainly spread the wealth around a bit...
Click to expand...
?
 
So ABSA and MTN would never admit it, but I would guess that a similar syndicate is operating there - if not the same one.

Also... interesting that they mention that he was paid by a syndicate, but not employed by them. They don't mention any charges against the syndicate itself.

If I was Busang, I'd be singing like a drunk canary right now.
 
Ancalagon said:
So ABSA and MTN would never admit it, but I would guess that a similar syndicate is operating there - if not the same one.

Also... interesting that they mention that he was paid by a syndicate, but not employed by them. They don't mention any charges against the syndicate itself.

If I was Busang, I'd be singing like a drunk canary right now.
Click to expand...

it probably is, guess the higher ups decided to make an example of him,
and not let him escape justice, like some of their comrades often do.

or he did something monumentally stupid, like try to buy a yacht or a private jet on the work PC.
 
eg2505 said:
it probably is, guess the higher ups decided to make an example of him,
and not let him escape justice, like some of their comrades often do.

or he did something monumentally stupid, like try to buy a yacht or a private jet on the work PC.
Click to expand...

Maybe Busang worries that the syndicate will "deal with him" in prison if he sings about who they really are.
 
eg2505 said:
wonder how he got caught? did he try to buy a yacht with his stolen millions?
Click to expand...

Its in the News24 article linked in the OP. He got very little out of the deal. His contract ended, and when he handed back his laptop, the IT manager discovered that it was being remotely operated...
 
Gordon_R said:
Its in the OP. He got very little out of the deal. His contract ended, and when he handed back his laptop, the IT manager discovered that it was being remotely operated...
Click to expand...

maybe thats what they told the media, but in reality he must have done something elementally stupid to end up busted that way.
 
eg2505 said:
maybe thats what they told the media, but in reality he must have done something elementally stupid to end up busted that way.
Click to expand...

Very simple. He was forced to hand over the laptop to security, and did not have a chance to wipe the software.

That's why you get escorted out of the building when you are fired...

P.S. Always read the News24 version, its a lot more informative than the MyBB summary...
 
Gordon_R said:
Very simple. He was forced to hand over the laptop to security, and did not have a chance to wipe the software.

That's why you get escorted out of the building when you are fired...

P.S. Always read the News24 version, its a lot more informative than the MyBB summary...
Click to expand...

rookie mistake,
but still doing it on a Work laptop? surely he thought of that?
 
eg2505 said:
rookie mistake,
but still doing it on a Work laptop? surely he thought of that?
Click to expand...

Its the only way to get a keylogger into a secure system, use a work laptop. Obviously he didn't think it through, and the syndicate didn't care if he got caught...
 
And I fail to see how they would've lost the money. Money is a digital entry, all Gautrain would have done is go to the bank and say hey, reverse these payments none of them were made by us.
 
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