Yahoo hacker sentenced to five-year prison term

The Yahoo hacker sentenced to a five-year prison term is reportedly being forced to pay the value of his entire assets of $2,250,000.00 as a fine.

The 23-year-old with Canadian citizenship admitted to hacking some 11,000 accounts between 2010 and 2017, allegedly on behalf of Russian agents who tasked him with hacking specific targets of interest to them.

The Yahoo hacking and data breach scandals have been amongst the biggest in the history of the world, with billions of accounts reportedly compromised.

Some three billion yahoo accounts were reportedly compromised, which has been a part of a massive operation targeting specific accounts, according to the criminal cases being pursued in the US. The hacker in question here is one of those who is reportedly at least partially to blame for the Yahoo hacking and data breach scandals that have taken place over the last decade.

The criminal sentencing and the fine against the Yahoo hacker in this instance was, as the US Courts stated, intended to send a clear message to anyone involved in “hacking for hire”, as seen in this case.

The prison sentencing alone is a big one, but a fine equating to the value of the hacker’s entire assets is monumental; especially when that amounts to millions of pounds.

The alleged agents tasking the hacker with breaking into accounts will likely not face any criminal prosecutions because they’re reportedly based in Russia and Ukraine, making extradition to the US to face charges likely impossible. It’s understood that the hacker who has been sentenced was only pursued as a result of his Canadian citizenship.

The case of the Yahoo hacker sentenced in these criminal proceedings – especially given the sentencing and the fine stripping him of all of his assets – may well act a deterrent against “hacking for hire” moving forward.

The market for hacking can be incredibly lucrative for criminals and fraudsters or, as we have allegedly seen in this case, State-sponsored organisations. Tough sentencing and fines may help to make the cyber world a far safer place in the future.