🚨 IT Administrator Arrested After Cyber Attack on Former Employer: A Wake-Up Call for Businesses Everywhere

In an alarming real-world case that highlights the dangers of insider threats, Richard Clayton Wozniak, a 41-year-old former IT System Administrator for The Spice and Tea Exchange, was arrested in July 2025 on five felony charges after launching a calculated cyberattack against the company—just minutes after being fired.

While the termination occurred in January 2025, the results of a months-long investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) culminated in Wozniak’s arrest being made public in July. The case has gained attention across the cybersecurity community and serves as a stark reminder of how quickly a disgruntled employee with insider access can cause irreversible damage.

What Happened?

According to the FDLE report, Wozniak was working remotely on the day he was let go. A human resources executive called to inform him of his termination, and within minutes, critical parts of the company’s infrastructure were compromised.

Here’s what the attack included:

• Gaining full access to and disabling the company’s firewall
• Removing email security and filtering systems, leaving the business vulnerable to thousands of unfiltered messages
• Deleting essential company data
• Erasing the company’s presence from its firewall provider’s system, eliminating logs and making the breach nearly untraceable

Authorities say Wozniak messaged someone after the attack, stating:
“Dude, I think I got my company in a chokehold.”

He has been charged with:

• Three counts of computer fraud
• One count of tampering with computer intellectual property
• One count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device

If convicted, Wozniak faces up to 35 years in prison.

Insider Threats Are Real — and Rising

This incident underscores a harsh truth in cybersecurity: not all threats come from external hackers. In fact, insiders—especially IT professionals with elevated privileges—can be even more dangerous because they know the system, the access points, and how to hide their tracks.

It only takes one rogue user, especially one with admin-level access, to bring operations to a halt, destroy valuable data, or expose a business to severe financial and reputational damage.

The worst part? It can all happen in under an hour.

How Tekie Geek Fortifies Businesses Against Insider Threats

At Tekie Geek, we specialize in protecting businesses from both external cyberattacks and internal security risks like the one in this case. Situations like this are why we go beyond basic IT support—our cybersecurity-first approach ensures your business is never left vulnerable.

Here’s how we help fortify your business:

• ‍Access Control & Privilege Management
  We implement strict access protocols that ensure employees only have access to what they need—and nothing more. When someone leaves your company, we help you revoke all access immediately.‍
• 24/7 Monitoring & Alerts
  Our systems detect unusual activity in real time. If someone tries to bypass security controls or tamper with data, we know—and act—fast.‍
• Data Backups & Continuity Plans
  Even if a bad actor tries to delete data, our secure, off-site backups make recovery fast and efficient. Your business doesn’t skip a beat.‍
• Firewall & Endpoint Protection
  We deploy enterprise-grade firewalls, email filtering tools, and endpoint detection to block threats before they reach your systems.‍
• Employee Offboarding Protocols
  We guide clients through proper offboarding procedures to prevent situations like the one with Wozniak—ensuring access is terminated before any damage can be done.

The Bottom Line: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

The July 2025 arrest of Richard Wozniak is not just a headline—it’s a wake-up call. Your business must be prepared, because these types of attacks can happen to anyone, at any time. Internal threats are often overlooked, but they’re among the most damaging.

At Tekie Geek, we take cybersecurity seriously because your business deserves serious protection. Our Superheroes of Cybersecurity are here to help you stay secure, compliant, and resilient—no matter what comes your way.

🎯 Ready to strengthen your defenses?
Let’s talk. Contact us today to schedule a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment and find out how we can help keep your business safe.

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