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11/02/2024 11:33:27 am

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Alleged Russian Hacker Tied to 2012 LinkedIn Breach Nabbed in Czech Republic

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(Photo : Getty Images) Celebrity hacker Alonzo Knowles received five years jail time for exposing sexually explicit photos of artists and hacking unpublished TV scripts.

Police authorities in the Czech Republic have apprehended an alleged Russian hacker believed to be connected to a series of cyber-attacks that targeted companies based in the United States.

Authorities said the suspect, whose name is yet to be released, was arrested on Wednesday by a joint operation of local police force and United States Federal Bureau of Investigation agents working on the case.

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Hours after the arrest was reported by the media, professional networking service LinkedIn released a statement tying the alleged hacker to a system breach back in 2012.

In a statement acquired by Fox News, LinkedIn said, "Following the 2012 breach of LinkedIn member information, we have remained actively involved with the FBI's case to pursue those responsible."

"We are thankful for the hard work and dedication of the FBI in its efforts to locate and capture the parties believed to be responsible for this criminal activity," LinkedIn added.

The breach LinkedIn was referring to occurred in 2012 when a hacking incident compromised more than 100 million user passwords. Further investigations revealed that 117 million user email and passwords were actually stolen during the breach.

A local Prague Municipal Court is now working whether to extradite the suspect to the United States. Justice Minister Robert Pelikan, accordingly, has the final say on the issue.

While extradition to the US is currently under discussion, Russian officials are also demanding that the suspect be handed over to them.

Court spokesperson Marketa Puci said the court ruled that the suspect will remain under detention, while waiting for the extradition case to be heard.

Czech authorities said they are giving the US two months to deliver all the necessary documents in order to support its extradition claim.

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