Former Opexus employees delete 96 US government databases minutes after termination
Muneeb Akhter retained access to corporate systems after being fired, executing commands to destroy Department of Homeland Security databases and exfiltrate EEOC records within an hour.
Two former employees of Opexus, a Washington-based software firm, executed a rapid campaign of data destruction and theft minutes after their summary termination on 18 February 2025. The incident involved the deletion of approximately 96 US government databases and the download of sensitive files belonging to federal agencies, highlighting a critical failure in credential management during staff reductions.
While the employer, Opexus, has since admitted that additional diligence should have been applied regarding background checks and that the terminations were not handled appropriately, the immediate aftermath of the dismissal proved catastrophic for federal data integrity. The targeted individuals were Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter, twin brothers who had previously pled guilty to wire fraud and computer crimes in Virginia in 2015 before returning to the tech sector.
The breach occurred because Muneeb Akhter retained access to his corporate account despite being fired, whereas his brother Sohaib had his access immediately revoked. Within an hour of the termination call ending at 4:50 pm, Muneeb accessed a US government database his company maintained and issued commands to prevent other users from connecting or making changes. He subsequently executed the command to delete the database and wiped out a Department of Homeland Security database within minutes.
In the span of a single hour, the destruction of the 96 databases was completed, and Muneeb downloaded 1,805 files belonging to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). He also secured federal tax information for at least 450 individuals, storing the data on a USB drive. During this period, the brothers communicated regarding the operation, with Sohaib observing his brother clean out database backups and discussing potential blackmail schemes against the company.
Following a three-week investigation, federal agents executed a search warrant at Sohaib's home in Alexandria, recovering seven firearms and significant ammunition alongside technology gear. Both brothers were arrested in December 2025 and indicted for a host of crimes. Sohaib was convicted in May 2026 of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, while Muneeb pleaded guilty in April 2026 to major allegations in the indictment.
Recent filings from jail indicate that Muneeb is challenging the effectiveness of his legal representation and questioning the validity of his signed guilty plea. He has requested permission to proceed pro se, a move that typically complicates federal cases significantly, though the destruction of the 96 government databases remains a central element of the case.
