Elon's team member linked to criminal group raises concerns

• Who is Edward Coristine? He is a member of the Government Efficiency Department (DOGE) created by Elon Musk. Coristine had previously offered technical services to the cybercriminal group EGodly.
• EGodly is known for stealing data, including phone numbers and cryptocurrencies, as well as hacking into email accounts of justice authorities.
• Former Deputy Director of CISA Nitin Natarajan expressed concern about someone with such a history having access to government networks.

Edward Coristine, who used the pseudonym "Big Balls," is part of the DOGE technical team and had extensive access to government networks. In 2022, while still a student, he ran a company called DiamondCDN that provided network services. Among its clients was the website of the group EGodly, known for boasting about data theft and hacking into email accounts.

The EGodly group, active on Telegram, claimed responsibility for seizing phone numbers and stealing cryptocurrencies. They also leaked private data of an FBI agent who was investigating them. Reuters could not verify the truth of these claims, but an FBI agent confirmed the group was suspected of making false reports. "These are bad folks," said the agent, whose name was withheld to avoid further harassment, "They're not a pleasant group."

Edward Coristine, now a 19-year-old "senior advisor" to the State Department and CISA, did not respond to requests for comment. His past is a cause for concern, especially given his current broad access to government networks. Nitin Natarajan, the former Deputy Director of CISA, stressed that even minor ties to EGodly are troubling. The State Department and CISA did not comment on the matter.