The nastiest, cruelest cyber attack in historyDarknet Diaries Ep.159: Vastaamo

The nastiest, cruelest cyber attack in historyDarknet Diaries Ep.159: Vastaamo

Joe Tidy’s book “Ctrl+Alt+Chaos” recounts the disturbing cyber attack in Finland involving the hacker Julius Kivimaki, who targeted Vastaamo, a psychotherapy center, stealing sensitive personal and therapy data. The case highlights the devastating consequences of cybercrime on victims’ privacy and the ongoing challenges in tracking and prosecuting notorious hackers. #Vastaamo #JuliusKivimaki

Keypoints :

  • Joe Tidy’s investigation and interview with hacker Ryan during Sony PlayStation Network attacks in 2014 sparked his interest in cybercrime.
  • The 2020 Finland cyber attack on Vastaamo involved the theft and extortion of personal mental health records of 33,000 patients.
  • Ransom Man, the hacker, publicly posted stolen data, including therapy notes, and threatened victims for ransom payments in Bitcoin.
  • The hacker accidentally posted his entire home directory containing the stolen data, leading police to an IP address that facilitated his arrest.
  • Julius Kivimaki, known from previous high-profile hacks, was identified as the suspect and arrested in Paris, leading to Finland’s largest cybercrime trial.
  • Kivimaki was convicted of over 50,000 cyber crimes and sentenced to six years in prison, highlighting a history of persistent cybercriminal activity.
  • The case exposed flaws in cybersecurity and legal systems, illustrating the profound impact of cybercrimes on individuals and institutions.

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