AN IT security analyst has been jailed for almost four years after blackmailing an Oxford gene and cell therapy company for £300,000 worth of Bitcoin.

Ashley Liles, 27, of Fleetwood, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to ‘piggybacking’ on a security attack at his own company, Oxford BioMedica, in the hopes of the ransom money being sent to him.

He was charged with gaining unauthorised computer access with intent to commit an offence and blackmail as well as unauthorised modification of computer material between February 28, 2018, and March 13, 2018. 

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At Reading Crown Court on Tuesday (July 11), Liles was sentenced to 43 months by Judge Hassan Khan.

The court heard that Liles, who was 22 at the time, was an IT security analyst at the company when the former business officer, Peter Nolan, received an email from a cyber attacker demanding £300,000 in Bitcoin – a virtual currency – after a security breach.

Liles was asked to verify that data has been stolen and how it occurred.

Oxford Mail: Ashley Liles Ashley Liles (Image: Newsquest)

The young man gave the impression to the company and police that he was assisting the investigation when he had actually had the ‘bright idea’ to piggyback on the ransom.

He was found to have accessed Mr Nolan’s email on 320 occasions between March 2 and March 9 where he changed the details of where to pay the ransom to in the original hacker’s email.

Liles also made a new email account slightly different from the original attacker and continue to heap pressure on the company to pay the Bitcoin ransom.

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However, after an investigation by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU), the unauthorised access was determined to have come from Liles’ home.

He was subsequently arrested and a computer, laptop, Samsung phone and a red USB stick were seized. It was found he had tried to wipe the data days prior to his arrest.

No ransom money was ever paid.

Defending Liles, his barrister offered Liles’ ‘lack of maturity’ as a reason behind why the offences had occurred.

He said: “He’s somehow at a loss as to how he found himself committing these offences. He’s not had any financial gain and he’s lost a huge amount – a good career, a good name.”

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Sentencing Liles, Judge Khan said: “It caused significant anxiety and stress for people who worked at the company.

"The CEO said the consequences of your actions has caused reputational damage and outside costs of £245,000.”

Liles will service half of his sentence before being released on licence.