A Singaporean hacker, identified as Chingwei, has been arrested in Thailand for his role in over 90 data breaches globally, according to Group-IB, a cybersecurity firm involved in the investigation. The 39-year-old man, who has been active in the cybercrime scene since 2020, used multiple aliases, including ‘Altdos’, ‘Desorden’, and ‘Ghostr’, to evade detection.
Using sophisticated techniques like SQL injection and exploiting vulnerable Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) servers, Chingwei targeted organizations across sectors including healthcare, finance, retail, and technology. His preferred attack methods involved exfiltrating sensitive data, demanding ransom from victims, and later, selling the stolen data for up to $10,000 per file on hacker forums.
Initially, Chingwei did not publicly announce the breaches but instead contacted media and regulatory bodies to pressure organizations into paying ransoms. Over time, he began leveraging dark web platforms to sell the stolen data, expanding his reach to North America and Europe. Investigators tracked his activities to a location in Thailand, where they discovered evidence of significant wealth, including luxury items.
Chingwei’s arrest is a major win for law enforcement and cybersecurity firms, bringing an end to a long-running cybercrime spree that impacted businesses worldwide.
Hackerarrest Picture by Illegalcity on Wikimedia CC-BY-SA-4.0
