FBI Arrests Canadian Cybersecurity Expert In ShinyHunters Hacking Case (www.cbc.ca)
- Reference: 0186291570
- News link: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/10/13/0456223/fbi-arrests-canadian-cybersecurity-expert-in-shinyhunters-hacking-case
- Source link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canadian-cybersecurity-expert-arrested-fbi-shinyhunters-9.7378256
> Reuters [2]reported Sunday that sources familiar with the matter identified the arrested suspect as Ed Dubrovsky, a Canadian cybersecurity executive whose career has focused on helping clients negotiate with ransomware attackers. Court documents from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania show Dubrovsky is facing two criminal charges: conspiracy to threaten to impair the confidentiality of information with the intent to extort money, and interference with commerce by threats. The allegations have not been proven in court.
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> "For the cybersecurity community in general, I think that there's a sense of shock," Toronto-based tech and cybersecurity analyst Ritesh Kotak told CBC News on Monday. Kotak says Dubrovsky is "very popular" and has spoken at numerous conferences, but stressed that the charges "are clearly just allegations" and that it is not yet known "what exactly has happened." "This is an individual that was for the most part respected when it came to ransomware negotiations," he said. "A lot of people are familiar with his work as well."
ShinyHunters is one of the world's most prolific data theft and extortion groups that's been tied to major campaigns, including a recent [3]breach involving FBI employee data , a [4]cyberattack on Canvas , as well as various cyberattacks affecting companies including [5]Telus , [6]Microsoft , and [7]Ticketmaster .
[1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canadian-cybersecurity-expert-arrested-fbi-shinyhunters-9.7378256
[2] https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/canadian-ransomware-negotiator-arrested-amid-fbi-hacker-crackdown-2026-10-11/
[3] https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/10/05/0355256/fbi-detains-teenager-linked-to-group-that-stole-data-on-5000-fbi-employees
[4] https://it.slashdot.org/story/26/05/08/0622227/the-canvas-hack-is-a-new-kind-of-ransomware-debacle
[5] https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/telus-digital-confirms-breach-after-hacker-claims-1-petabyte-data-theft/
[6] https://developers.slashdot.org/story/20/05/07/1850248/microsofts-github-account-allegedly-hacked-500gb-stolen
[7] https://yro.slashdot.org/story/24/05/29/226202/hackers-claim-to-have-breached-ticketmaster-stealing-personal-data-of-560-million-users
Playing catchup? (Score:1)
The Times reported this on the 8th or 9th last week, I read it on Bleeping Computer on the 9th.
Don't Be Too Cocky (Score:2)
Slashdot posted an article on this subject two or three days ago.
I won't accuse them of it being a dupe since this article, despite being the same subject, is from another source.
Right. Like this isn't just Trump dissing Canada (Score:5, Insightful)
Everything this administration does is rooted in or related to corruption, political messaging, or outright hate. Trump is just singing "Blame Canada" to try to whip up his base.
Re: (Score:2)
Your statement precludes the notion that perhaps this person who seems like a respectable individual could perhaps be less than appears and have engaged in criminal behavior. I'm reminded of the judge who was found to be sentencing teens unjustly because he was getting a kickback from the facility where they would be detained. I think you're letting your feelings about Trump seriously cloud your judgement. Taking you at face value requires everyone else to accept that Trump wanted to make Canada look bad (t
Re: (Score:2)
> there are hundreds of other things he could do that would be more effective without putting himself in a position where the case collapses due to a complete lack of evidence that has to be brought to court.
You're right. For example, he could have an Olympic athlete arrested for vandalizing the reflecting pool.
'Doesn't need to be that specific to be an attack. (Score:2)
Aside from a few specific cases that became prominent, do you think he was personally sitting down with a list of borown people to send his ICE brownshits out to attack? On course not. It was a general directive to scapegoat them and make their lives hell... ALL their lives, even citizens and green card holders. Given maga's modus operandi, this is almost certianly just more of the same; and Dubrovsky was not arrested because he's the ringleader of some ransomeware gang but just because he's Canadian, is
Re: (Score:2)
You know Canada has criminals right? I mean We all like to mock America for being a shithole compared to their wonderful upstairs neighbours, but that's all posturing. They aren't perfect.
By the way the FBI works closely with international cybercrime units, e.g. the Dutch Police (yes just police in the name, but they effectively have the equivalent of the FBI cybercrimes division in their ranks). The Dutch started this a few weeks ago, and Trump probably things Shinyhunters is a supplier of discounted goal
Now I have Shiny Happy People running in my head (Score:2)
Shinyhunters reminded me of it for some reason.
Re: Now I have Shiny Happy People running in my he (Score:2)
You can undo that by listening to the Fatima Mansions cover of that song. Funny thing is that they have still pay Michael Stiped as he is credited on the release.
So (Score:2)
1)Initiate Hacking incident
2) Act as Hacking Incident negotiator for the client.
3) Profit!?
Seems pretty brilliant.
You don't negotiate or pay ransomware. (Score:2)
You only fund further attacks doing this. Just consider your junk lost.
As for this guy, just negotiating should be a criminal offense. Oh, he was in on it? Shocking I tell 'ya.
Re: (Score:3)
Sometimes the FBI are even guilty of [1] dupe jeopardy! [slashdot.org]
[1] https://it.slashdot.org/story/26/10/11/0157259/fbi-arrests-cybersecurity-executive-over-data-breach-after-contractor-fails-to-update-oracle-hr-platform
Re:FBI being FBI? (Score:5, Interesting)
Could be a misunderstanding. In the USA, such negotiations are the domain of law enforcement. So here's someone NOT a part of LE, passing demands, offers and counteroffers back and forth. So the FBI isn't really sure what part this person plays in the hacking/ransomware case.
And then there's the problem of criminal organizations who have paid LE for protection. Can't have some outsider step in and uncover a possible hidden relationship.
Re: (Score:1, Troll)
Nice to see healthy hate returning for the FBI et al. That's been absent a lot in recent years, when they were chasing Trump and his associates.
Re: (Score:2)
Are you talking about the convicted rapist who breaks laws on a daily basis because the court said he's allowed? The guy who is mentioned thousands of times in the Epstein files and says how great of a guy Epstein was? The guy who suddenly had Epstein arrested and conveniently died while the cameras glitched? That same fat orange sack of shit?
Re: (Score:3)
Now ask why the FBI didn't arrest him on those Epstein charges. Or any other Epstein clients.
Where's Katie Johnson's 302?
Why is DoJ illegally withholding and redacting millions of files?
Don't mistake two enemies fighting for friends.
Oh, and they're actively framing an autistic black man for terrorism.
Re: (Score:2)
> They have a long and inglorious record of arresting people just because they actually know something about a field. Dr. Steven Hatfill, for instance.
Yes indeed. It's got nothing to with with a co-ordinated campaign which has seen multiple Shinyhunters members arrested over the past few weeks, it's all just a fishing expedition from the evil FBI, yesssirrreeee.