Spanish police have arrested a 19-year-old man. Due to the sheer scale of his cyberattacks, they argue, they represent a national security threat.
The investigation into Jose Luis Huertas (a.k.a. “Alcasec”) was launched after he allegedly hacked the National Judicial Council (CGPJ) and tax authorities and stole the data of more than 500,000 Spaniards.
The person then created a database filled with this information, including personal data and bank account numbers, and sold it to cybercriminals, according to the Spanish National Police.national police).
Huertas also in fact A search engine called “Udyat” or “Eye of Horus” sells tons of stolen data.
Read more about Teen Hackers: UK teen arrested for computer misuse.
According to police, the teenager boasted in a YouTube video that he had access to the personal data of 90% of Spaniards. The numbers may be exaggerated, but Polisia National The large amount of data stolen by Huertas claimed to make him a threat to national security.
Officers claimed that he lived a life of luxury, including going on expensive vacations, visiting fine restaurants, and wearing luxury brands to fund this cybercrime.
Huertas allegedly laundered criminal proceeds through a cryptocurrency mixer service, but expert investigators were able to trace some of the money.
When officers searched Huertas’ home and other premises, they seized large amounts of cash, documents, digital media, motorcycles, and luxury vehicles.
Teenage cybercriminals are more common than you might think. Last year, two British teenagers were indicted on hacking charges related to the infamous Lapsus$ extortion group. A teenager was also involved behind his highly publicized 2015 TalkTalk data breach.
Last year, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) claimed that even a 9-year-old could launch a DDoS attack thanks to the ready availability of online services.
