A 30-year-old man remains behind bars Tuesday morning after police say he breached the computer system at a bank in Downtown Honolulu.
HONOLULU (KITV4) -- A 30-year-old man remains behind bars Tuesday morning after police say he breached the computer system at a bank in Downtown Honolulu.
A Central Pacific Bank spokesperson tells KITV4 that no customer information was affected by an incident in which 30-year-old Kobina Nyarku was arrested for illegally accessing the bank's computer.
Nyarku remains in custody with bail set at $250,000. He is facing two complaints of unauthorized computer access following an incident on Feb. 17 at the CPB in downtown Honolulu.
Nyarku was scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 22. He was charged, Tuesday, with one count of first-degree unauthorized computer access and one count of second-degree unauthorized computer access. Both are felonies.
According to the Honolulu County Prosecuting Attorney’s Department, Nyarku allegedly used a computer terminal at the bank in order to access information on bank employees. Investigators say Nyarku was in the bank under the pretense of applying for a job.
“Be careful who you allow to use your computers and cell phones. Criminals can steal valuable and personal information in a matter of seconds if left unmonitored and the damage can last a lifetime,” the department wrote in a press release.
If convicted, Nyarku could face up to 20 years in prison.
The bank says its cooperating with authorities as the investigation continues.
CPB spokesperson Brandt Farias issued the following statement on this incident:
"There was an incident involving the unauthorized access of a computer at Central Pacific Plaza on Thursday, February 17, 2022. A suspect sought to access employee information under the pretense of applying for a job. Due to the prompt response by the CPB team, the suspect was arrested the next day. No customer information was compromised. A complete analysis of the bank’s computer network found no ransomware or any other malicious programs.
CPB is currently cooperating with law enforcement as part of an ongoing investigation to determine what employee records, if any, were compromised."
