Now, U.S.A. regime convey officially indicted Yevgeniy Aleksandrovich Nikulin, 29-years-old Russian national, for hacking non but LinkedIn, but likewise the online cloud storage platform Dropbox, too now-defunct social-networking fellowship Formspring.
Nikulin was arrested inwards Prague [Watch Video] on Oct v past times the Czech law later Interpol issued an international arrest warrant.
According to an indictment unsealed Friday, Nikulin had hacked iii Bay Area technology scientific discipline companies inwards the restrain too summertime of 2012, which includes LinkedIn Corp, Dropbox, too Formspring.
Nikulin gained access to LinkedIn's network betwixt March 3 too March 4, 2012; Dropbox's network betwixt May fourteen too July 25, 2012; too Formspring betwixt June thirteen too June 29, 2012.
The U.S. Justice Department likewise says that Nikulin allegedly gained access to credentials belonging to LinkedIn too Formspring employees, which helped him demeanour out the reckoner hacks.
The hacker is reported to convey stolen accounts of to a greater extent than than 117 Million LinkedIn users too to a greater extent than than 68 Million Dropbox users. Authorities likewise state that later stealing information from the iii companies, Nikulin worked amongst unnamed co-conspirators to sell the stolen data.
In September, a hacker was selling this Dropbox information dump on a Dark Web marketplace known equally TheRealDeal for or too then $1200.
However, before this month, well-known researchers Thomas White uploaded the full Dropbox information dump of 68,680,741 accounts onto his website for anyone to download the leaked database for free.
US officials convey charged Nikulin with:
- 3 counts of reckoner intrusion.
- 2 counts of intentional transmission of information, code, or ascendancy causing harm to a protected computer.
- 2 counts of aggravated identity theft.
- 1 count of trafficking inwards unauthorized access devices.
- 1 count of conspiracy.
Nikulin faces a maximum of 32 years inwards prison theatre too a massive fine of over $1 Million, according to the maximum penalties for each count.
The hacker remains inwards custody inwards Prague, Czech Republic. The FBI is waiting for a Czech courtroom to determine on his extradition to the United States.
