DOGE staffer provided tech support to cybercrime ring, records show

The best-known member of Elon Musk's DOGE service team of technologists once provided support to a cybercrime gang that bragged about trafficking in stolen data and cyberstalking an FBI agent, according to digital records reviewed by Reuters.

Edward Coristine is among the most visible members of the DOGE effort that has been given sweeping access to official networks as it attempts to radically downsize the US government.

Past reporting had focused on his youth - he is 19 - and his chosen nickname of "bigballs," which became a pop culture punchline. Musk has championed the teen on his social media site X, telling his followers last month that "Big Balls is awesome."

From around 2022, while still in high school, Coristine ran a company called DiamondCDN that provided network services, according to corporate and digital records reviewed by Reuters and interviews with half a dozen former associates.

Among its users was a website run by a ring of cybercriminals operating under the name "EGodly," according to digital records preserved by the internet intelligence firm DomainTools and the online cybersecurity tool Any.Run.

The details of Coristine's connection to EGodly have not been previously reported.

On February 15, 2023, EGodly thanked Coristine's company for its assistance in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

"We extend our gratitude to our valued partners DiamondCDN for generously providing us with their amazing DDoS protection and caching systems, which allow us to securely host and safeguard our website," the message said.

The digital records reviewed by Reuters showed the EGodly website, dataleak.fun, was tied to internet protocol addresses registered to DiamondCDN and other Coristine-owned entities between October 2022 and June 2023, and that some users attempting to access the site around that time would hit a DiamondCDN "Security check."

Musk's team has adopted the name "Department of Government Efficiency" though it is not an official government department. Coristine is listed as a "senior adviser" at the State Department.

On LinkedIn, Coristine describes himself as a "Volunteer (Intern) Plumber" with the government.

REUTERS