British ‘hacker’ held in connection with cyber-attack on U.S. DoD

A British man has been arrested in connection with an alleged cyber attack on the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD). The suspected hacker, 23, was arrested by officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) in Sutton Coldfield, in the West Midlands, on suspicion of offences linked to data stolen from a messaging service used by DoD employees worldwide. Contact details for around 800 people, including name, title, email addresses and phone numbers, were obtained in the attack last June, the NCA said. The details for around 34,400 devices were also taken, the agency said.

Awareness of the type of cyber crime dangers which are out there is vital, whoever you are, as is collaboration between organisations across different sectors, regions and countries to develop the most effective ways of combating those threats.

Andy Archibald, deputy director of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit

The hacker posted screenshots taken from the dashboard used to control the database, as well as a strange message on the text storage website Pastebin. The data was used as part of an international satellite message dissemination system called Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services. IMEI numbers, the unique codes used to identify a mobile device, were also stolen. The NCA said no sensitive data was obtained and none of the data that was taken could be used to personally identify anyone or threaten U.S. national security.

DCIS special agents will use every tool at their disposal to pursue and bring to justice those that attack the Department of Defence.

Jeffrey Thorpe, special agent in charge at the US Department of Defence criminal investigative service (DCIS)

Technology British hacker