Brazilian Police Arrest Hacker Behind Major SSN Data Breach
The Arrest of the Hacker
The Federal Police of Brazil announced the arrest of the hacker linked to a breach that leaked 2.9 billion records containing highly sensitive information, including Social Security numbers (SSNs). The hack, which came to light in August, saw data advertisements on the dark web by an entity identifying themselves as USDoD.
Background of the Breach
- Data put for sale included SSNs and other personal details.
- The hacker aimed to sell federal police information.
- 80,000 members of the FBI’s InfraGard program were affected.
Ongoing Investigations
Security experts reported that the leak contained around 272 million unique SSNs and approximately 600 million phone numbers. National Public Data and Jerico Pictures are facing Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to lawsuits stemming from the incident.
Operation Data Breach led the arrest. The hacker will face charges for breaching computer systems and commercially exploiting the stolen data.
This article was prepared using information from open sources in accordance with the principles of Ethical Policy. The editorial team is not responsible for absolute accuracy, as it relies on data from the sources referenced.