Spanish Police Arrest Suspected NATO and US Army Hacker

Spanish police have arrested a suspected cybercriminal who hacked and sold data stolen from numerous government organizations, as well as NATO and the US military.

The National Police (Policia Nacional) teamed up with the Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) to detain the man in the Costa Blanca town of Calpe, it revealed yesterday. A subsequent property search led to the discovery of various computer equipment and over 50 cryptocurrency accounts.

The police claimed that the individual carried out more than 40 cyber-attacks on various targets last year, including the Civil Guard, the Ministry of Defense, the Royal Mint, the Ministry of Education, the Valencia provincial government and various Spanish universities.

He’s also suspected of attacks on NATO, the US army and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Read more on Spanish police operations: Spanish Police Bust €5m Phishing Gang

Using various online pseudonyms, he leaked or sold sensitive internal data and employee/citizen information obtained from those organizations, it is alleged.

The police investigation began after a Madrid-based business organization complained of a data leak on a well-known underground forum, thought to be BreachForums.

“The suspect, who had extensive knowledge of computers, had managed to set up a complex technological network through the use of anonymous messaging and browsing applications, through which he had managed to hide his tracks and thus make his identification difficult,” the National Police claimed.

However, collaborating with digital experts from the Spanish National Cryptologic Centre (CCN), Europol and the US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), they were ultimately able to track down the suspect.

He’s been charged with various offenses, including discovery and disclosure of secrets, illegal access to computer systems, damage to computers and money laundering.

In 2023, Spanish police arrested a 19-year-old who they claimed hacked the national council of the judiciary (CGPJ) and tax agency, and stole data on over half a million Spaniards.

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