Benjamin Kirsh: Former employee at Sydney company charged over alleged data manipulation

A man has been arrested at Sydney Airport and charged over the alleged illegal access and manipulation of the data of his former Sydney workplace. Here’s the latest from court.

A former employee of a Sydney-based company has been charged over the alleged manipulation of its data.

Benjamin Kirsh’s matter was heard at Downing Centre Local Court on Monday after he was charged with unauthorised modification of data with the intent to cause impairment and impair electronic communications to or from computer.

State Crime Command Cybercrime Squad established Strike Force Pardey in May to investigate an unlawful access and manipulation of communication data from a company in Chatswood.

Following the investigation, detectives attached to the strike force arrested a 24-year-old man at Sydney Domestic Airport on June 19.

Police escorted the man out of the airport and he was taken to the Mascot Police Station and charged.

NSW Police arrested the 24-year-old person at Sydney Domestic Airport in June. Picture: NSW Police/Supplied

Police have charged the former employee over alleged data manipulation. Picture: NSW Police/Supplied

Police allege that the man used access credentials associated with his former role in the company to gain access to the IT systems to significantly disrupt the business.

Police said it would have impacted their customers globally.

Court documents state Kirsh allegedly caused an unauthorised modification of data held in a computer, implementing IP restrictions and the changing of a primary and backup email address of the “computer program ‘Zendesk’ used by Fastrack Technology Australia Ptd Ltd” on May 19 in Artarmon.

He is also alleged to have caused an unauthorised impairment of electronic communication from a computer to “five data centres operated by Fastrack Technology Pty Ltd”, located in Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Ashburn and Seattle on the same day in Chatswood.

Police are advising that investigations under Strike Force Pardey are continuing.

Kirsh will return to court on September 2.