Ex-U-M coach back in court in alleged computer hacking case
Ex-coach Weiss in court for cyber hack case
Weiss faces charges related to computer hacking and identity theft involving hundreds of thousands of college student-athletes, including McKenzie Johnson.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - Former Michigan offensive coordinator Matthew Weiss returned to federal court Tuesday to address his future, with his next court date scheduled to be in the fall.
What they're saying:
Weiss faces charges related to computer hacking and identity theft involving hundreds of thousands of college student-athletes, including McKenzie Johnson.
"I was just very taken aback as I’m a very young professional. I'm in a Fortune 500 company," Johnson said. "I don’t know what’s to come of this or what will be exposed as I’m in corporate America."
Johnson played softball at Grambling University and is one of dozens who filed a class-action lawsuit against Weiss.
The Department of Justice contacted her and said Weiss illegally gained access to personal and medical information as well as social media, email, and intimate photos between 2015 and January 2023.
"This is just the tip of the iceberg. I think as we peel back the layers of this rotten onion that the University of Michigan has created, that we’re going to discover that there’s going to be a different entanglement out there," said Jon Marko, Johnson’s attorney. "That there’s going to be additional women and individuals."
Dig deeper:
Flow Specialty President David Derigiotis specializes in cybersecurity and says this case is a reminder for people to take a proactive approach to protect their personal information.
"In this particular case, we did see cloud backups that were being accessed. I think it’s important, especially if you have sensitive photos you don’t want to be widely shared. I recommend not adding that to the cloud," Derigiotis said.
Those protections include checking the credit bureaus and freezing your accounts if you’re a victim of a breach.
"People need to take this very seriously because it can mean the difference between getting out successfully on your own and getting that first apartment, that first home, that new car, and not being able to do that," Derigiotis said.
The Source: FOX 2 talked with McKenzie Johnson and attorney Jon Marko for information on this report.
Featured
Attorney says data hack case by ex-U-M coach of female athletes is just 'tip of the iceberg'
Matthew Weiss is facing a federal indictment for allegedly accessing potentially thousands of female athletes' personal information, private photos, social media and email, as early as 2015.