A 24-year-old Tennessee man has admitted to hacking the U.S. Supreme Court’s electronic filing system and posting his victims’ personal data on Instagram.
At a Glance
- Nicholas Moore, 24, pleaded guilty to hacking the Supreme Court’s electronic filing system
- He posted victims’ personal information on Instagram account @ihackthegovernment
- Moore also breached AmeriCorps and Department of Veterans Affairs systems
- He faces up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine
- Why it matters: The breach exposed sensitive government data and personal information of federal employees
Moore’s guilty plea last week initially lacked details about his crimes. A newly filed court document, first spotted by Court Watch’s Seamus Hughes, reveals the extent of his hacking activities and how he publicly exposed his victims.
Supreme Court System Breached
Moore gained access to the Supreme Court’s electronic document filing system using stolen credentials from authorized users. Once inside, he accessed and stole personal data belonging to court employees and system users.
The court document shows Moore targeted a Supreme Court victim identified only as GS. He posted GS’s name along with their “current and past electronic filing records” to his Instagram account.
Multiple Government Agencies Targeted
The hacking campaign extended beyond the Supreme Court. Moore successfully breached additional government systems:
- AmeriCorps: The government agency that runs stipend volunteer programs
- Department of Veterans Affairs: The agency providing healthcare and welfare to military veterans
For the AmeriCorps victim SM, Moore published extensive personal details including:
- Full name and date of birth
- Email and home address
- Phone number
- Citizenship status
- Veteran status
- Service history
- Last four digits of Social Security number
The Department of Veterans Affairs breach involved victim HW. Moore sent an associate a screenshot from HW’s MyHealtheVet account that showed prescribed medications and personally identifying information.
Public Exposure on Social Media
Moore’s Instagram account @ihackthegovernment served as his platform for exposing victims. He boasted about accessing AmeriCorps servers and posted identifiable health information about the VA victim.
The court filing details how Moore used compromised credentials to access these systems, then deliberately exposed the stolen information online.
Legal Consequences
Moore, a resident of Springfield, Tennessee, now faces significant penalties for his crimes. The maximum sentence includes one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
The case highlights vulnerabilities in government cybersecurity systems and the potential consequences when hackers gain access to sensitive federal databases containing personal information.
