Hacker Pleads Guilty to Data Theft from Over 165 Companies
A Canadian national admitted guilt to charges related to extensive data breaches affecting numerous organizations and individuals.
Connor Moucka, a 26-year-old Canadian citizen, has entered a guilty plea for his involvement in hacking more than 165 companies, illicitly obtaining billions of data records, and engaging in extortion schemes targeting multiple entities and individuals.
The U.S. Department of Justice formally announced Moucka's plea in a press release issued on Wednesday. Investigations indicated Moucka compromised the cloud provider Snowflake, which subsequently facilitated access to dozens of its client organizations, including prominent names such as AT&T, LendingTree, and Ticketmaster.
Among the stolen information were records pertaining to over 100 million AT&T customers, encompassing call and texting data. Additionally, banking details, driver's license numbers, and Social Security numbers were exfiltrated from other breaches.
Moucka and his co-conspirators reportedly amassed more than $2.5 million through ransom payments over several years. The hacker also generated approximately $500,000 by selling victims' data on various illicit online platforms, including the well-known BreachForums.
According to the Department of Justice, the financial damages incurred by victims due to the activities of Moucka and his accomplices are estimated at $9.5 million.
W. Mike Herrington, an FBI special agent involved in the case, characterized Moucka's actions, stating, "Connor Moucka’s threats and re-extortion tactics were calculated and predatory, and his actions did real harm to his victims, be they companies targeted for theft and extortion or the millions of everyday people who are their customers."
Known online by the monikers Waifu and Judische, Moucka was apprehended in Canada at the close of 2024, only a few months after the initial Snowflake breaches came to light. Austin Larsen, a senior researcher at Google’s cybersecurity firm Mandiant, who investigated the Snowflake incidents, identified Moucka as "one of the most consequential" hackers of 2024.
Moucka is scheduled for sentencing on October 27 and faces the prospect of decades in federal prison.
Sources
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