MSP

MSP Arrested for Turning Off Customer’s Managed IT Services?

Imagine the following MSP or CSP scenario: A customer allegedly signs a three-year cloud services or IT services contract with an MSP business. But one year into the agreement the customer allegedly cancels the deal. In response, the MSP allegedly turns off the customer's IT services -- and the MSP gets arrested.

That's at least some of the scenario facing Jim Kubicek, president and COO of Kubicek Information Technologies. He provided IT services to Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce in Georgia. When the chamber canceled the IT services, Kubicek allegedly took the customers' data hostage and prevented the chamber from accessing its own data, according to a report. Kubicek got arrested and now faces charges related to theft by extortion, computer theft and computer trespass, the report says.

The twist? Kubicek insists he did nothing wrong. Instead, he was simply turning off IT services for which the customer refused to pay, he claims. Now, Kubicek is suing the chamber for unpaid IT services.

What are the deeper details of the case? Kubicek's court appearance is set March 10. We're checking in with both sides of the case for updates.

Updated February 7, 2017, 12:05 p.m. ET: Both Kubicek and his attorney declined to comment at the case at this time. We'll continue to check in with them for potential updates.

Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.