Fired Employee Wreaks Havoc on Company's Hiring System

Author: Michael Cardman, XpertHR Legal Editor

September 9, 2021

A Florida HR director has been convicted of federal cybercrimes for rampaging through her company's computer systems after she was terminated.

Medghyne Calonge deleted thousands of HR files and caused more than $100,000 in damages to her former employer, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ).

Calonge's case illustrates the importance of securing the workplace and of safeguarding company property following a termination - in particular, vital computer systems and networks.

According to the DOJ, Calonge was fired for improperly downgrading a colleague's computer access following an argument, among other things. Just before she was escorted from the building, two co-workers observed her "repeatedly hitting the delete key on her desktop computer."

Over the course of the next two days, Calonge logged into her employer's computer system where she deleted some 17,000 job applications and resumes. She also left profane messages.

The system was completely destroyed. The company spent more than $100,000 to investigate the incident and to rebuild the system.

Calonge awaits sentencing. She was convicted of two Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) violations, which carry maximum prison sentences of five and 10 years.