Ex School Employee From Ayer Charged With Damaging Computer Network

AYER, MA — An Ayer man was charged and agreed to plead guilty Wednesday in connection with a cyberattack targeting the computer network of his former employer—an Essex County public high school—over the summer, the United States Attorney's Office said in a news release.

After he was fired in June, 30-year-old Conor LaHiff, who worked as a desktop and network manager, is accused of using his administrative privileges to deactivate and delete thousands of Apple IDs from the school’s account, according to officials.

LaHiff is also accused of deactivating more than 1,400 additional Apple accounts and other IT administrative accounts and disabling the school’s private branch phone system, rendering phone service unavailable for 24 hours, officials said.

He has been charged with one count of unauthorized damage to protected computers and will later appear in federal court in Boston, according to officials.

The charge provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the total gain or loss, officials said.