October 17, 2024 at 10:04AM
Brazilian police arrested a suspect linked to significant cybercrimes, including attacks on the FBI’s InfraGard, Airbus, and the US EPA, believing them to be the notorious hacker USDoD. The individual faces hacking charges, while investigations continue to uncover further cyber intrusions associated with them.
### Meeting Notes Takeaways
**Arrest of Cybercriminal Suspect:**
– The Brazilian Federal Police (Policia Federal, PF) arrested a suspect in Belo Horizonte, linked to a series of data thefts.
– The individual is suspected to be connected to several high-profile cyberattacks, including breaches involving the FBI’s InfraGard, Airbus, and the EPA.
**Connection to Serial Cybercriminal:**
– The suspect is believed to be associated with a notorious cybercriminal known as “USDoD,” a long-time actor in the cybercrime landscape.
– The arrest occurred under Operation Data Breach, following the issuance of search and seizure and preventive arrest warrants.
**Charges and Ongoing Investigation:**
– The suspect is facing charges for hacking a computer device, with aggravated penalties for selling the stolen data.
– The investigation will continue to uncover additional cyber intrusions potentially carried out by the suspect.
**Background Information:**
– In August, a leaked CrowdStrike intelligence report suggested a specific Brazilian suspect was linked to USDoD, prompting interest from law enforcement.
– Cybersecurity researchers have been speculating on USDoD’s identity, utilizing open-source intelligence (OSINT).
**Notable Cyber Attacks Linked to USDoD:**
1. **National Public Data (NPD)**:
– Alleged attack early 2024 led to the bankruptcy of Jerico Pictures, affecting hundreds of millions of individuals.
– A 277.1GB file containing data on 2.9 billion people was advertised for sale online.
2. **Airbus Data Breach**:
– Attack resulted in the compromise of data belonging to 3,200 vendors.
3. **TransUnion Incident**:
– Claimed responsibility for a significant data theft, though TransUnion stated the attack targeted a third party rather than its own systems.
**Government Awareness:**
– The US government is closely monitoring USDoD’s activities due to connections with breaches impacting federal agencies like the EPA and the FBI.
### Next Steps:
– Continue monitoring developments regarding the suspect’s identity and other possible breaches linked to this case.
– Assess implications for cybersecurity policies and practices in response to the growing threat of data breaches.