Pierluigi Paganini October 20, 2016

Czech police, working with the FBI, has arrested a Russian man at a hotel in Prague that is suspected to be involved in the 2012 LinkedIn hack.

Czech authorities, with the support of the FBI, have arrested a Russian hacker suspected of conducting cyber criminal activities against the US.

“Policemen investigation department of the Criminal Police and Investigation of the Police Presidium again successfully collaborated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The aim of the police was this time a Russian citizen suspected of hacking attacks on targets in the United States. On the search was called Interpol issued.” reads a statement issued by the Czech police. 

“With the rapid flow of information, the man was detained for 12 hours after receiving the first operational information. In the Czech Republic moved luxury car accompanied by his girlfriend. For the actual arrest took place in a hotel in the city center. Searched police crackdown was so surprised that no resistance. Immediately after the arrest of a man showed collapse and the state police had to take immediately provide first aid and was eventually hospitalized. The Municipal Court in Prague decided on the man’s custody. The hacker’s extradition to the US will now decide judicial authorities.”

The alleged Russian hacker, Yevgeniy N (29), is suspected to be the responsible for the massive 2012 data breach at LinkedIn, which affected 117 Million user accounts.

The man was found and arrested at a restaurant in central Prague on October 5, he faces possible extradition to the US.

A Czech court will take the final decision on a possible extradition to the United States, anyway, according to the Russian news agency TASS, the Russia would make a strong opposition.

“We insist that the detainee is handed over to Russia,” said Andrei Kolmakov, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Prague.

In a first time, security experts suspected the arrest was due to the participation of the hacker in the attacks against the Democratic National Committee (DNC) or Hillary Clinton, in order to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.

However, the message published by LinkedIn suggests that the arrest of the hacker was related the LinkedIn hack.

“Following the 2012 breach of LinkedIn member information, we have remained actively involved with the FBI’s case to pursue those responsible,” LinkedIn said in a statement, also reported by the Reuters.

“We are thankful for the hard work and dedication of the FBI in its efforts to locate and capture the parties believed to be responsible for this criminal activity,” the company said.

A US law enforcement official declared that the Russian hacker arrested by the FBI was not involved with the DNC hack.

Czech police have released a video of the arrest of the alleged responsible of the LinkedIn hack.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(Security Affairs – LinkedIn hack, cybercrime)