Arion Kurtaj, the 18 year old hacker who compromised Nvidia, Uber, Revolut, and Rockstar games has been sentenced to life in a secure hospital after his arrest and subsequent court case.
I have posted a number of times about this saga, covering the initial cyber attacks, the arrest of Kurtaj, and his court appearance – this post brings the story to an end.
Rockstar hack was a step too far
Kurtaj and an un-named 17-year old were both active members of the Lapsus$ hacking gang when they targeted Uber, EE, and BT.
The attack against Rockstar games came whilst Kurtaj was on bail for those offences and was being held under police protection at a Travelodge hotel.
Whilst at the hotel, Kurtaj used an Amazon Firestick in the hotel room TV and the hotel Wi-Fi to gain Internet access and commit his biggest crime.
The attack against Rockstar games, subsequent blackmail, and eventual release of code and video material for Grand Theft Auto VI caused the FBI to begin an active investigation.
Sentencing
During the sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court – presided over by Her Honour Judge Lees, a mental health assessment determined that Kurtaj “continued to express the intent to return to cybercrime as soon as possible,” calling him “highly motivated.” Court testimony also claimed he was violent while held in custody for the trial. As a result, he will now be held in a secure hospital for the rest of his life.
The 17-year old accomplice of Kurtaj was sentenced to an 18 month Youth Rehabilitation Order, including intense supervision and a ban on using VPNs.
The 17 year old was was sentenced for what judge Particia Lees described as “unpleasant and frightening pattern of stalking and harassment” of two young women, as well as the hacking offences.
