Having penetrated the defenses of not one but many of the world’s reigning tech companies that include NVIDIA, Samsung, and Microsoft, the key figure behind hacking group Lapsus$ must be some sort of grizzled veteran with years upon years of hacking experience, right? Apparently not, as an investigation by cybersecurity researchers have led them to a 16-year-old boy who still lives at home in Oxford, England. Researchers believe that the teenager is the mastermind behind the attacks and is so fast at hacking that his activity could easily be mistaken as being automated and coming from a machine. The real question is, which company or agency is going to hire the lad first?
Teen Suspected by Cyber Researchers of Being Lapsus$ Mastermind (Bloomberg)
Cybersecurity researchers investigating a string of hacks against technology companies, including Microsoft Corp. and Nvidia Corp., have traced the attacks to a 16-year-old living at his mother’s house near Oxford, England.
The teen is suspected by the researchers of being behind some of the major hacks carried out by Lapsus$, but they haven’t been able to conclusively tie him to every hack Lapsus$ has claimed. The cyber researchers have used forensic evidence from the hacks as well as publicly available information to tie the teen to the hacking group.
Bloomberg News isn’t naming the alleged hacker, who goes by the online alias “White” and “breachbase,” who is a minor and hasn’t been publicly accused by law enforcement of any wrongdoing.
Another member of Lapsus$ is suspected to be a teenager residing in Brazil, according to the investigators. One person investigating the group said security researchers have identified seven unique accounts associated with the hacking group, indicating that there are likely others involved in the group’s operations.