Security News > 2023 > February > Suspect in Finnish psychotherapy center blackmail hack arrested

French police have arrested a 25-year-old Finnish man accused of hacking a psychotherapy clinic, stealing more than 22,000 patients' therapy notes, demanding ransom payments from them and also leaking this very private info on a Tor website.

At the same time, Kivimäki was "Arrested in absentia" by the Helsinki District Court for aggravated attempted extortion, aggravated computer break-in and aggravated dissemination of information violating personal privacy, according to the local cops.

Back in October, Psychotherapy Center Vastaamo admitted the data breach after patients' stolen details started appearing on the dark web.

The now-ex CEO of Vastaamo, Ville Tapio, was later charged with data protection offenses, and the psychotherapy center declared bankruptcy.

Patients were reportedly blackmailed for €200 each, and the price tag jumped to €500 if the initial demand wasn't paid within 24 hours, according to Krebs.

Plus, in addition publishing names and contact details, which other cybercriminals could use for identity theft, the miscreant threatened to leak patients' therapy session notes.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/02/08/vastaamo_hack_arrest_finland/