Ukrainian hacker caught sellling government databases for crypto. A Ukrainian hacker has been found selling sensitive data obtained from central government databases in Ukraine.
A hacker whose identity was not revealed could break into several government databases by compromising personal accounts of approved workers, according to a media release from the Ukrainian Cyberpolice.
The hacker reportedly used brute force approaches to break into social media accounts and email addresses. He seems to have found 50 government databases with up-to – date information through that simple method.
He then sought to sell the captured information on hacker forums in exchange for cryptocurrency. Authorities did not disclose which currency was used.
The police searched the perpetrator’s apartment and confiscated the equipment that was used to conduct these deals. A picture from what appears to be his computer shows a Skype conversation supposedly in connection with these deals. The hacker told a potential customer that the price was “6.5 [rubles] for one valid [entry].” Presumably the customer was located in Russia, as Ukraine’s currency is the hryvnia. The price quote amounts to about $0.10 per database entry.
The perpetrator was charged with “unauthorized sale and distribution of information with limited access,” a crime with a maximum prison sentence of five years. Given the lack of high treason charges, it seems likely that the data was not extraordinarily sensitive.
[image: Markus Spiske]
