Edward Coristine, a key figure in Elon Musk‘s U.S. DOGE Service team, has been linked to a cybercrime group, according to a recent report.

What Happened: 19-year-old Coristine, nicknamed “Big Balls,” formerly ran a company called DiamondCDN, which specialized in network services. One of DiamondCDN’s clients was a website reportedly operated by the cybercrime group known as “EGodly.” This association has not been previously reported. Digital records show that from October 2022 to June 2023, the EGodly website was linked to internet protocol addresses registered to DiamondCDN and other entities owned by Coristine, reported Reuters.

In 2023, EGodly’s website dataleak.fun was used to hijack phone numbers, infiltrate law enforcement email accounts, and commit cryptocurrency theft. The group also disclosed personal information about an FBI agent they believed was investigating them, according to the report.

Sources told Reuters that Coristine is designated as a “senior adviser” at both the State Department and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. However, on LinkedIn, Coristine refers to himself as a “Volunteer (Intern) Plumber” for the U.S. government. Elon Musk also praised the teenager on his social media platform, X, saying to his followers last month, “Big Balls is awesome.”

According to The Wired, Edward Coristine was reportedly enrolled at Northeastern University. Last summer, he also spent three months at Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain-computer interface company.

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Why It Matters: The revelation of Coristine’s connection to a cybercrime ring comes at a time when the DOGE initiative, aimed at reducing the size of the U.S. government, is under scrutiny. The initiative has drawn criticism from various quarters, including billionaire investor Mark Cuban. Cuban highlighted the potential economic and social fallout of aggressive government cuts and called for a more organized approach.

The connection between a key member of the DOGE team and a cybercrime group raises questions about the security and integrity of the initiative. Nitin Natarajan, who was the deputy director of CISA during the Biden administration, told Reuters that it was alarming that someone associated with a cybercrime ring has access to confidential government records. "The recency of the activity and the types of groups he was associated would definitely be concerning."

This development could potentially impact public trust in the DOGE initiative and its ability to effectively carry out its mission of downsizing the government.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.