Officials at Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court in Warsaw uncovered a surprising revelation as they found high-powered cryptocurrency mining rigs discreetly hidden throughout the courthouse, including in ventilation ducts and beneath a raised floor.
Furthermore, these rigs were powered by the court’s mains supply and had their own modems, ensuring they were not connected to the court’s network. Judge Sylwester Marciniak reassured that the incident posed no threat to the security of data stored in the Supreme Administrative Court, and the country’s Internal Security Agency had been informed.
Additionally, the mining devices, capable of consuming significant energy, were strategically placed near power supply equipment. Shortly after the discovery in September, the court terminated its contract with an external company responsible for maintaining the building’s devices. TVN 24 reported the dismissal of two employees accountable for servicing the area housing the cryptomining equipment.
At the same time, the seized equipment has been dismantled, and a police investigation, led by the district prosecutor’s office, is underway, focusing on the theft of electricity. To date, no charges have been filed.
This incident echoes a past occurrence in 2015 when five prisoners in Ohio reconstructed computers hidden in a closet’s ceiling, connecting them to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections network, highlighting how unexpected locations, including justice buildings, can become unwitting hosts for cyber misdeeds.
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