#954 - Joe Tidy - Chasing The Most Hated Hacker In History

The cybercrime ecosystem is witnessing the rise of teenage hacking groups like "Scattered Spider" that pose a significant cybercrime threat by disrupting companies and infrastructure in the UK and the US.

Teen Hacking Gangs Pose a Major Cybercrime Threat, Often In Loose Collectives Like "Scattered Spider."

Crowdstrike has been monitoring the activities of Scattered Spider, indicating that these collectives are not very organized and often come together on platforms like Discord and Telegram. Joe Tidy points out that these groups, which are part of a larger collective known as the COM, include thousands of online delinquents engaging in cyberattacks.

Tidy explains that teenage hacking gangs such as Scattered Spider are frequently underestimated despite becoming more organized. They differ from modern ransomware groups, which are highly organized and money-oriented. Instead, teenage gangs often operate within a different culture that can start innocuously with computer games and evolve into serious cyber activities.

From Benevolent Hacktivists to Organized Cybercriminals Focused On Ransomware, Data Theft, and Extortion

Initially, young hackers view hacking as fun while playing games, but over time, as they venture into the hacking forums, their curiosity may lead to more severe cyber activities. According to Tidy, once money, particularly Bitcoin, becomes involved, it can quickly escalate into serious cybercrime.

The trajectory of these hackers can transform from attention-seeking antics to malicious operations, such as data theft, ransomware, and extortion. Though these teenage hackers start with benign intentions focused on improving internet safety, they can evolve into organized cybercriminals engaging in more sinister activitie ...

In an evolving digital landscape, social media and technology have significantly influenced hacker motivations and methodologies.

Social Media Rise Shifted Hacker Motives From Exploring and Internet Safety To Fame, Clout, and Profit Through Cybercrime

Joe Tidy suggests that the emergence of Twitter and the concept of online followers and clout have redirected teenage hackers' efforts. Where once the hacking community's motives centered around exploration and internet safety, they now pursue nefarious activities that grant them notoriety and profit.

Social Media's Emphasis on Followers and Likes Fuels Hackers Seeking Attention and Fame Over Technical Interests

The rise of social media, particularly Twitter, has altered the landscape, engendering a shift in hacker motives from a focus on the technical aspects and safety of the internet to a search for fame and recognition. The transition from personal social networking to a platform revolving around followership has enticed some hackers, like the group Scattered Spider, into cybercrime for attention. The sale of Crowdstrike Scattered Spider figurines, which could potentially glamorize cybercriminals, underscores this societal shift. Joe Tidy links the changing youth hacking culture from "chaotic good" to "chaotic evil" partly to this social media phenomenon, where emphasis on followers and likes motivates individuals toward seeking public attention rather than contributing beneficially to internet safety.

Bitcoin Enables Teen Hackers to Profit From Cybercrime

With the introduction of Bitcoin, the perspective on the potential for profit in illegal activities shifted. As the value of Bitcoin rose around 2011-2013, a new horizon in finan ...

The discussion dives into terrifying cybercrimes linked to the notorious hacking group Lizard Squad and the substantial emotional toll of exposed sensitive data through such cyberattacks.

Lizard Squad's 2014 Christmas Attacks Highlight Teenage Hacking Threat

Powerful DDoS Attacks Crippled Gaming Networks

Around Christmas time in 2014, Joe Tidy recalls, the Lizard Squad conducted a significant DDoS attack that took down essential online gaming services. He likens the attack to overwhelming traffic that could crash a website during high-demand events like ticket sales for Glastonbury. Specifically, the Lizard Squad targeted Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, disrupting these services for many hours over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day — peak times for gaming activity.

Joe Tidy also shares a particularly alarming incident, in which a child's online accounts were hacked by the Lizard Squad. The hackers demanded that the child self-harm to recover the accounts, a demand to be attributed to the Lizard Squad.

Tidy's first story covering hacking involved the Lizard Squad's Christmas attack. He recounts his task of securing a TV interview with a suspected anonymous member of the hacking group, a endeavor that led him to a teenager named Ryan, believed to be 16 or 17 years old at the time.

Vastamo Hack Led to Ptsd and Suicidal Thoughts, Causing Severe Emotional and Mental Health Impacts

Joe Tidy delves deeper into the activities of Julius Kivimäki, a member of the Lizard Squad with a history of serious cybercrimes. Notably, Kivimäki was implicated in the 2018 breach of a Finnish psychotherapy provider, Vastamo, which compromised the confidentiality of 33,000 patient records. He attempted to extort Vastamo, initially leaking patient records daily on the darknet. However, Kivimäki inadvertently uploaded an entire database along with his own home computer directory, leading to his exposure. The police located an IP address in the accidental leak pointing to a cloud server located just outside Helsinki.

The security at Vastamo was alarmingly lax, with open servers and no password protection, making the extraction of the sensitive patient data worryingly straightforward. Altho ...

Law enforcement faces significant challenges when dealing with the diverse landscape of cybercrime, where hackers' skill levels and operational security vary greatly.

Teenage Hackers Like Kivimäki Often Have Poor Operational Security, Making Them More Vulnerable to Law Enforcement Than Organized Cybercrime Groups in Russia or Eastern Europe

Joe Tidy describes teenage hackers, such as members of Scattered Spider, and their poor operational security (OPSEC) practices. Teenage hackers like Julius Kivimäki, who was caught because he uploaded his entire home directory including his IP address, clearly demonstrate this lack of OPSEC. Tidy highlights that young, unskilled hackers are more susceptible to law enforcement actions due to such mistakes.

Kivimäki's careless behavior and brazen attitude, such as showing up to a Sky News interview without disguise while smirking, despite being under investigation and on bail, exemplifies the poor OPSEC. His poor choices continued as he traveled on mismatched identification, leading to his arrest. However, despite the wealth of evidence against him, it appears his admissions during the interview were not taken into account in his conviction.

Young, Unskilled Hackers Overwhelming Law Enforcement

Tidy also mentions that individuals suspected to be part of Scattered Spider's community have been arrested, which points to the challenges law enforcement face with young, unskilled hackers. These individuals often act carelessly, unaware of the criminal nature of their actions or unconcerned about being caught, which can overwhelm law enforcement. Gathering evidence against Kivimäki for blackmail, for instance, took an excessive 18 months due to delays in obtaining information from a US tech giant, suggesting a complex and exhaustive process for the police.

Experts Warn Focus On Quantum Computing and Ai Overlooks Reliance on Social Engineering and Unpatched Vulnerabilities in Hacking Techniques

While advancements in technology such as quantum computing and AI might suggest a future of more sophisticated cyber attacks, Joe Tidy warns that traditional methods of hacking like social engineering and exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities remain prominent. He notes that these fundamental methods haven't changed much in 20 years.

Enhancing Bas ...

The interconnectivity of modern society has greatly increased the potential impacts of cyber threats on crucial infrastructure. As technologies advance, so too do the risks of cyberattacks, which can have severe consequences on essential services and are sometimes being compared to acts of war.

Hackers Targeting Crucial Infrastructure Is a Rising Concern, With Such Attacks Deemed Acts of War

Cyberattack On Colonial Pipeline Highlights Severe Impacts of Hacking Systems

Joe Tidy highlights the severe impacts of a cyberattack through the example of ransomware crippling an organization. He likens such an event to a regression to medieval times, with organizations forced to abandon technology and resort to pen and paper. Hospitals can be rendered inoperative in key areas such as their scanning systems due to ransomware.

Tidy specifically references the ransomware attack against Colonial Pipeline, a critical component of the US petrol and oil infrastructure. This attack led to fuel shortages, panic buying, and disrupted fuel flow up and down the East Coast. The attack raises complicated questions about the nature of cyber warfare and whether such cyberattacks should be considered acts of war under NATO's Article 5, illustrating just how significantly these incursions can affect national operations and security.

Experts Warn Of Increased Hacking Risks As Technologies Advance

While hackers utilizing advanced technologies like quantum computing may sound like a distant concern, Chris Williamson stresses that these developments are on the ...