Hacker behind 90 big data attacks arrested in Thailand
It is sometimes said that the digital underworld is like a game of cat and mouse. But in this case, the mouse decided to be extremely sneaky and eluded justice for several years. But eventually, she fell into a trap. Thai and Singaporean authorities, in partnership with cybersecurity firm Group-IB, announced the arrest of a 39-year-old Bangkok man behind one of the most extensive series of attacks on personal data in recent years.
Hacker with many identities
This cybercriminal wasn’t just using one identity. He went by various aliases on the internet, the most famous being ALTDOS, DESORDEN, GHOSTR and 0mid16B. It was this constant change of online aliases that helped him evade justice for a long time.
Group-IB named him as one of the most active cybercriminals in the Asia-Pacific region as of 2021. According to their analysis, his hacking caused more than 90 massive data breaches, compromising at least 13 terabytes of personal information.
Where it was about profits, not fun
The motivation of this hacker was quite clear – money. Unlike many other cybercriminals who use ransomware to harm companies, this hacker chose a different tactic. He did not immediately publish the stolen data on the Dark Web.
Instead, he tried to sell them or use them to blackmail the affected companies.
Sometimes he has provided stolen data to the media or regulators to cause even more reputational damage to companies that refused to pay. In a few cases, he even contacted clients of the affected companies directly to pressure them into negotiating.
In order to have more control over the companies, he sometimes encrypted their databases to make things more difficult for them.
Global attacks, millions of victims
The affected companies included companies from various sectors: healthcare, retail, finance, logistics, insurance and recruitment. Most of the victims were in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and India, but companies in Canada, the UK and the US were also affected.
Some companies have been so badly affected that the damage is estimated to be in the millions of dollars, not only because of the financial losses but also because of the damage to their customers’ confidence.
The biggest crash and the luxurious life of a hacker
During the arrest, Thai authorities seized not only the hacker’s electronic devices, but also expensive luxury items. Among them were Chanel handbags, luxury watches and jewellery, which he probably bought with the money he earned from selling the stolen data.
During the investigation, the hacker eventually admitted that he was behind the attacks on more than 70 databases and that he acted entirely alone. According to available information, he targeted mainly large companies and avoided government institutions.
The fight against cybercrime never ends
Although the arrest of this hacker is a huge success for cybersecurity, the world of digital crime never sleeps. As soon as one big hacker goes down, another usually pushes to take his place.
Businesses and organisations must therefore pay even more attention to protecting their data and continuously improve their cyber defences.
This case shows that even the most cunning hackers are not untouchable. With greater cooperation between international security forces and modern technology, the chances of catching cybercriminals are steadily increasing.
So if anyone thinks they can do harm anonymously and with impunity on the internet, they should think again.
