Teenage Hacker to Europe's Most Wanted in 11 Years

Photo : EMMI KORHONEN / LEHTIKUVA

The imprisonment of Julius Kivimaki, once dubbed one of Europe's most wanted criminals, marked the culmination of an 11-year spree of cybercrime. According to BBC reports, Kivimaki was sentenced for blackmailing 33,000 patients undergoing therapy, leveraging their stolen session notes.

His criminal journey began at the age of 13, swiftly elevating him to prominence within a network of anarchic teenage hacking gangs. Business Insider revealed that Kivimaki received a six-year and three-month sentence from the District Court of Western Uusimaa, Finland, after being found guilty on all counts. The charges included over 9,000 violations of personal privacy and more than 20,000 counts of attempted aggravated extortion.

The Finnish hacker, extradited from France to Finland in October of the preceding year, was charged following the 2018 cyberattack on Vastaamo, a private psychotherapy service. The breach resulted in the illicit acquisition of sensitive patient data.

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In 2020, Kivimaki demanded a ransom exceeding 400,000 euros from the therapy company, threatening to release patients' confidential records unless paid in Bitcoin. When the center refused, he emailed thousands of patients, demanding 200 euros from each, with the threat of escalating the demand to 500 euros within 24 hours.

Despite Kivimaki's denial of all charges, evidence presented during the trial, as detailed in a legal bulletin, confirmed his involvement. The aftermath of his actions led to the exposure of patients' personal information, including sensitive therapy notes, on the dark web. Tragically, at least one suicide has been linked to this case.

May 6, 2024 12:02 p.m. 4520

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