A 39-year-old man suspected of being behind at least 75 hacking cases worldwide was arrested in Thailand on February 26. His arrest was the result of a joint effort between the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Royal Thai Police, as announced by the SPF on February 27.
Cybersecurity firm Group-IB, which helped with the investigation, reported that the suspect was responsible for over 90 data breaches globally, including 65 in the Asia-Pacific region. Thailand had the highest number of cases at 21, followed by Singapore with 14. Group-IB described the suspect as one of the most active cyber criminals in the Asia-Pacific since 2021.
The investigation into these data breaches began in 2020 after 11 victims in Singapore filed police reports. These victims had their data stolen and were later subjected to ransom demands from various cybercriminals.
The perpetrators identified themselves using multiple aliases, including Altdos, Desorden, GhostR, and 0mid16B. Authorities believe all these identities were linked to the same person. Victims who refused to pay the ransom found their stolen data published online for sale.
Desorden leaked data from Protemps Employment Services in 2021 and made it available for just €2.10 (S$3). Desorden was also linked to hacking PC vendor Acer in India and Taiwan.
Another alias, Altdos, was responsible for hacking real estate firm OrangeTee & Tie in 2021, exposing the information of more than 250,000 customers, employees, and agents.
The Singapore Cybercrime Command worked closely with Thailand authorities, His nationality was not disclosed in the official statement by the SPF. Thai police seized assets worth over 10 million baht (S$395,500) including laptops, mobile phones, luxury vehicles, and branded bags.
Expressing his appreciation to the Royal Thailand Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Tay reiterated SPF’s commitment to working closely with regional partners.
AC Tay, who is also commander of the Cybercrime Command, said: “We remain relentless in our pursuit of cyber criminals, and will hunt them down wherever they are and bring them to justice.”
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter
About us:
The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News is a premier platform dedicated to delivering latest news, updates, and insights from the tech industry. With its strong foundation of intellectual property and thought leadership, the platform is well-positioned to stay ahead of the curve and lead conversations about how technology shapes our world. From its early days as CIO News to its rebranding as The Mainstream on November 28, 2024, it has been expanding its global reach, targeting key markets in the Middle East & Africa, ASEAN, the USA, and the UK. The Mainstream is a vision to put technology at the center of every conversation, inspiring professionals and organizations to embrace the future of tech.
