November 17, 2023 at 08:09AM
Israeli private investigator Aviram Azari has been sentenced to 80 months in prison in the US for hacking companies and individuals, earning him nearly $5 million. Azari owned an Israeli intelligence firm, Aviram Hawk or Aviram Netz, and hired hacking groups to access online accounts and steal information. Targets included hedge funds, tech companies, journalists, and climate change activists. Azari will also have to serve three years of supervised release and forfeit the $4.84 million. Victims have described the psychological impact of the attacks.
Here are the key takeaways from the meeting notes:
1. Israeli private investigator Aviram Azari has been sentenced to 80 months in prison in the United States for hacking companies and individuals, resulting in a profit of nearly $5 million.
2. Azari was arrested in September 2019 on charges of computer hacking, wire fraud, and identity theft when he traveled to the United States.
3. Azari operated an Israel-based ‘intelligence firm’ called Aviram Hawk or Aviram Netz, which was hired by clients between 2014 and 2019 to obtain intelligence on specific targets.
4. Azari hired different hacking groups, including one in India, to access online accounts and steal information for his clients. This was often done through spear-phishing emails.
5. The targets of Azari’s hacking activities included hedge funds, tech companies, journalists, and climate change activists. Approximately 300 targets were identified, with successful hacking confirmed for 100 of them. It is believed that thousands of entities worldwide may have been targeted.
6. Some of the stolen documents were leaked to the press, resulting in investigations into Exxon Mobil Corporation’s knowledge about climate change and potential misstatements made by Exxon.
7. In addition to the prison sentence, Azari will have to serve three years of supervised release and forfeit the $4.84 million he made through the hacking scheme.
8. The victims of Azari’s hacking activities have described the psychological impact, including anxiety, paranoia, depression, sleeplessness, and fear. They have also expressed ongoing concerns for their personal safety.
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