Contact: Robbie Ward
Photo by: Kristen Hines Baker
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A Mississippi State computer science major's cooperation with the FBI is leading to the arrest of a Texan accused of planning a major computer "hack" of a Dallas medical facility.
Nearly two weeks ago, Wesley McGrew of Collinsville, a computer science doctoral student at the university, turned over his research about a potential hack to an FBI agent in Jackson. The agent passed the information to the Dallas bureau to investigate for possible federal crimes.
McGrew, a research assistant at MSU's Critical Infrastructure Protection Center, said he communicates often with perceived hackers, but researches only a small percentage of those he interacts with online. This time, however, one showed evidence of threatening public health and safety.
He said the suspect used multiple aliases, including "GhostExodus" and "PhantomExodizzmo" when allegedly posting about breaking into the Carrel Clinic.
According to McGrew, online bragging by the suspect "mentioned control and SCADA computer systems responsible for critical infrastructure that could jeopardize lives, if compromised." The suspect also discussed breaking into a facility's heating, ventilation and air condition computer system, with plans for a serious attack that could harm patients and affect medications kept at specific temperatures, he added.
FBI special agents have identified the suspect as Jesse William McGraw of Arlington, who allegedly posted plans for a "Devil's Day" attack and referred to an organized "distributed denial of service," a type of computer attack in which an unauthorized person takes control of secured computers and uses them for potentially malicious attacks.
Jessie McGraw remains in federal custody waiting for a grand jury to determine whether to issue an indictment. According to media reports, he was working as a guard for a security company that serves the medical clinic.
With bachelor and master's degrees in computer science completed at MSU, Wesley McGrew currently focuses his doctoral studies on vulnerability analysis and penetration testing in computer systems.
Last year, he earned praise for a similar piece of detective work that uncovered major flaws in numerous national critical infrastructure software programs. After the super-secret National Security Agency was made aware of his discovery, the Department of Homeland Security broadcast an alert that included information on how to correct the flaws.
Ray Vaughn, head of MSU's department of computer science and engineering and director of its Critical Infrastructure Protection Center, said McGrew is "one of the most capable students" he has mentored.
"Wesley has a strong sense of ethics and a bright future ahead of him," said Vaughn, a retired Army colonel who coordinated McGrew's reporting to the FBI about the recent planned attack. "Students like him are a rare find."
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For more information--and to reach Mr. McGrew--contact Dr. Vaughn at 325-7450 or Vaughn@cse.msstate.edu.
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MERIDIAN EDITOR: McGrew is the son of Robert and Vickie McGrew.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.