A former ADT home security tech has pleaded guilty to spying on customers. Telesforo Aviles, 35, pleaded guilty to the charge of computer fraud. Aviles was accused of marking down homes with women he found attractive and then spying on them when they were nude or engaging in sexual activity inside their homes. To ensure he would maintain access, he would at times claim to be performing “routine maintenance” to throw off suspicions of foul play. In total, Aviles was accused of accessing over 200 accounts around 9,600 times before his arrest. Northern District U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah had this to say on the case:
This defendant, entrusted with safeguarding customers’ homes, instead intruded on their most intimate moments… We are glad to hold him accountable for this disgusting betrayal of trust.
By pleading guilty, Aviles faces up to five years in prison for spying on ADT customers. These acts specifically involved breaking ADT policy and adding his personal email to ADT Pulse accounts. This allowed Aviles to access real-time feeds of customers.
Speaking on the case, Special Agent Matthew J. DeSarno of the FBI’s Dallas unit gave advice on what understandably worried ADT customers can do to protect themselves:
Cyber intrusions do not only affect businesses but also members of the public. We encourage everyone to practice cyber hygiene with all their connected devices by reviewing authorized users and routinely changing passwords. If you become the victim of a cybercrime, please contact the FBI through ic3.gov or 1-800-CALL FBI.
To add to this, with the realities of today’s technologies threatening security and privacy, it is strongly encouraged to examine the need for a service. Just because a certain technology, be it a smart refrigerator or home security system, may make life easier, ask yourself if you truly need it and what it entails as far as your privacy. Corporations count on the complacency of the general populace to further advance their intrusion into our private lives. Don’t be afraid to push back. Invasive technology likely cannot be defeated, but it can be resisted.
Featured image: Flickr/ nadbasher
