Remember that massive LinkedIn hack that occurred all the way back in 2012? The one that suddenly ballooned from 6.5 Million to over 100 Million records stolen this year, after many were found for sale on the Dark Web? Well, the mastermind behind the attack has been apprehended. Before organizations rejoice and pop the bubbly, understanding the legalese at play could put a slight damper on the celebration for the time being.
According to various reports, the Russian-based hacker was arrested at a hotel in Bucharest. Due to the surprising nature of the apprehension, he suffered a nervous breakdown and was placed in a local hospital until a clean bill of health could be administered. In the meantime, US authorities are working to extradite him back to the United States in order to formally charge him with his aggressive acts against US-based corporation LinkedIn. It should be noted that originally, the apprehended suspect was believed to have had a connection to the voting database hacks that occurred earlier this year, affecting Illinois and Arizona. While this was obviously proved to be incorrect, the connection to LinkedIn is still quite significant and could open the door to solving other cases in the future.
Back to the reality of the situation – the fact remains that this suspect (name withheld by authorities) is not on US soil. In order to try said suspect on US soil, an extradition process will begin. This process is already being met with apprehension and stalling from the Russian government, who have appealed the United States’s request. Overall, it is a small step in the right direction but it still doesn’t solve the very real problem of cyber attacks taking away the vital data we try to protect so diligently.
On a business level, implementing 24×7 managed and monitored cyber security protocols in case an attack of this nature were to occur is a step in the right direction. By understanding the needs of your business on a holistic level, not only will your vital data and networks be protected and secured, but customers and clients can rest assured knowing their personal details will not be stolen.