What Happened to The Akhter Brothers Government Database Wipeout?

The incident, widely referred to as 'The Twin Brothers Government Database Wipeout,' involved Muneeb Akhter and Sohaib Akhter, who were employed as engineers at Opexus, a federal contractor providing software services to over 45 U.S. federal agencies. The brothers had a history of cybercrimes, having been convicted in 2015/2016 for hacking the U.S. State Department and a cosmetics company, a fact that raised significant concerns about their rehiring as government contractors.

The catalyst for the database wipeout occurred in February 2025. Muneeb Akhter reportedly convinced Sohaib to search the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) database for a third party's plaintext password. After Muneeb used these credentials to access the individual's email account without authorization, both brothers were terminated during a remote video meeting on February 18, 2025. Immediately following their termination, and while Muneeb still had active network access, the brothers launched a coordinated attack.

Over the course of approximately 56 minutes, Muneeb Akhter accessed the network, write-protected databases, deleted others, and destroyed logs and other evidence of their activities. The attack resulted in the deletion of roughly 96 government databases, including sensitive investigative documents from various federal agencies, case management data, and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request processing software. Agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), General Services Administration (GSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and EEOC were among those impacted, with some losing years of records. Prosecutors noted that Muneeb even queried an artificial intelligence assistant on how to clear system logs after deleting databases.

The consequences were immediate and severe. The Department of Justice (DOJ) initiated investigations, and the incident was labeled a "major lapse" in security measures by their employer, Opexus. In November 2025, Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter were charged with multiple offenses, including destruction of records, aggravated identity theft, computer fraud, and theft of government information. They were arrested in December 2025.

As of May 2026, Sohaib Akhter, 34, was found guilty by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit computer fraud, password trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He faces a maximum penalty of 21 years in prison. Muneeb Akhter faces charges that could lead to a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison. The case underscores the critical importance of robust insider threat detection and prevention, as well as thorough background checks for contractors handling sensitive government data.