Ethical Hacking News
A 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier was arrested on December 20th near Fort Hood, Texas, and indicted on two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records for his association with notorious cybercriminal Kiberphant0m.
Cameron John Wagenius, a 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier, was arrested on December 20th near Fort Hood, Texas, and indicted on two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records. Kiberphant0m claimed to be responsible for hacking into at least 15 telecommunications firms, including AT&T and Verizon, but was not working alone. Kiberphant0m maintained a large botnet used for distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and sold remote access credentials for a major U.S. defense contractor. The true extent of Kiberphant0m's activities became public knowledge on November 26th, with evidence including selfies on his Facebook page and Telegram messages. Kiberphant0m posted sensitive customer call records stolen from AT&T and Verizon on BreachForums, offering a SIM-swapping service targeting Verizon PTT customers. The investigation into Kiberphant0m's activities was marked by law enforcement tracking him down through his opsec mistakes, with the arrest being the fastest turnaround time for an American federal cyber case.
The world of cybercrime is often shrouded in mystery, with hackers and cybercriminals operating from the shadows, evading law enforcement and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. However, in recent weeks, a highly publicized arrest has brought attention to the activities of a notorious cybercriminal known only by his handle "Kiberphant0m." A 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier named Cameron John Wagenius was arrested on December 20th near Fort Hood, Texas, and indicted on two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records.
Wagenius' association with Kiberphant0m began in the summer of this year when he joined a Facebook group operated by the prolific Canadian cybercriminal Connor Riley Moucka, also known as "Judische." Moucka's arrest was a significant blow to the hacking community, as he had been arrested in late October for stealing data from and extorting dozens of companies that stored data at the cloud service Snowflake. However, it soon became apparent that Kiberphant0m, who claimed to be responsible for hacking into at least 15 telecommunications firms, including AT&T and Verizon, was not working alone.
Kiberphant0m's activities were closely monitored by cybersecurity researchers, including Allison Nixon of Unit 221B, a New York-based firm that specializes in tracking down cybercriminals. According to Nixon, Kiberphant0m maintained a large botnet used for distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and had sold remote access credentials for a major U.S. defense contractor.
However, it was not until November 26th that the true extent of Kiberphant0m's activities became public knowledge. In a story published by KrebsOnSecurity, Nixon revealed that Kiberphant0m had posted several selfies on his Facebook page, including ones where he was seen in uniform while holding various Army-issued weapons. The story also cited Kiberphant0m's own Telegram messages, which revealed that he maintained a large botnet used for DDoS attacks and had sold remote access credentials.
The investigation into Kiberphant0m's activities was marked by several notable events, including the posting of what appeared to be sensitive customer call records stolen from AT&T and Verizon on BreachForums. The post also included a sales thread offering a "SIM-swapping" service targeting Verizon PTT customers. SIM swapping is a type of scam where fraudsters use credentials that are phished or stolen from mobile phone company employees to divert a target's phone calls and text messages to a device they control.
In an interview with KrebsOnSecurity, Nixon reflected on the investigation into Kiberphant0m's activities, saying that law enforcement was able to track him down through his opsec mistakes. "Between when we, and an anonymous colleague, found his opsec mistake on November 10th to his last Telegram activity on December 6, law enforcement set the speed record for the fastest turnaround time for an American federal cyber case that I have witnessed in my career," she said.
Nixon also offered some words of caution to young people involved in cybercrime. "I know that young people involved in cybercrime will read these articles," she said. "You need to stop doing stupid shit and get a lawyer. Law enforcement wants to put all of you in prison for a long time."
The arrest of Kiberphant0m marks a significant victory for law enforcement in its efforts to track down and prosecute cybercriminals operating within the United States. As the world of cybercrime continues to evolve, it is clear that this case highlights the importance of vigilance and cooperation between law enforcement agencies.
In conclusion, the story of Kiberphant0m serves as a cautionary tale for those who would seek to engage in cybercrime. His arrest marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice, but it also underscores the ongoing need for cybersecurity awareness and education.
Related Information:
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2024/12/u-s-army-soldier-arrested-in-att-verizon-extortions/
Published: Mon Dec 30 22:29:12 2024 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M