Edward Coristine, a prominent figure in Elon Musk’s DOGE Service initiative aimed at downsizing the US government, has been linked to a cybercrime group known as “EGodly,” according to an investigation by Reuters. Coristine, who is just 19 years old, has been recognized as a senior adviser at key US agencies, including the State Department and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), despite his past ties to illicit online activities.
According to the Reuters report, Coristine ran a company named DiamondCDN while still in high school, which allegedly provided vital infrastructure services to EGodly, a cybercrime group involved in a range of illegal activities, including phone number hijacking, cryptocurrency theft, and cyberstalking.
Through digital records, it was discovered that DiamondCDN’s services were used by EGodly to secure their website and protect their operations from disruptions. A Telegram post from EGodly in February 2023 thanked Coristine’s company for providing “DDoS protection and caching systems,” which helped secure their site, dataleak.fun.
Coristine has maintained a prominent role in US government cybersecurity efforts, notably being part of Musk's DOGE Service team, which has garnered unprecedented access to sensitive US government networks. His title, “senior adviser,” is perplexing given his history with DiamondCDN and its ties to EGodly. On LinkedIn, Coristine describes himself as a “Volunteer (Intern) Plumber,” a role that has raised further questions about his true level of involvement with federal cybersecurity.
The activities of EGodly, including hacking into law enforcement accounts and distributing sensitive information, have led to significant investigations by authorities. One of the group’s most infamous acts was targeting an FBI agent for cyberstalking, swatting, and public harassment, which drew significant public and law enforcement concern. Although Coristine himself may not have directly participated in these acts, his provision of services to a group engaged in such operations is worrying.
“It is troubling that someone who provided services to a cybercriminal group just two years ago is now in a position of influence with access to sensitive government networks,” Nitin Natarajan, former deputy director of CISA, said in interview with Reuters.
