French Authorities Capture Finland’s Most-Wanted Hacker

Julius "Zeekill" Kivimäki, a notorious hacker long on the run from Finnish authorities, was arrested this week in France. The capture occurred during a domestic violence call on a residence in France, and Kivimäki likely faces extradition to Finland.

The 25-year-old is one of the most wanted cybercriminals in Finland, with a lengthy list of cybercrimes that includes extorting an online psychotherapy practice and leaking sensitive info on more than 22,000 patients.

In 2020, an attack against the Vastaamo Psychotherapy Center in Finland exposed the data of thousands of patients. After the incident, a hacker under the moniker "Ransom Man" asked for a six-figure ransom in exchange for not leaking patients’ private information.

The center refused to negotiate, so the perpetrator changed his approach by attempting to extort individual patients directly. Ransom Man sent direct emails to the victims, demanding a 500-euro ransom to keep the lid on their private records.

However, a colossal slip-up involving the hacker exposing an entire copy of their home folder allowed investigators to prove Kivimäki’s involvement with the security incident and link him to other cybercrimes.

According to Krebs On Security, Kivimäki began his ascension in the world of cybercrime as a “self-professed member of the Lizard Squad” group specializing in DDoS attacks. However, the threat actor’s prolific criminal career allegedly dates back to 2008, when he was introduced to a founding member of the notorious group HTP (Hack The Planet).

Finnish authorities charged and arrested Kivimäki in absentia for attempting to extort money from the psychotherapy center. The suspect failed to appear in court in October 2022 and remained under the radar after Finnish authorities issued an international arrest warrant in his name.

His arrest marks an important step in maintaining public safety by combating cybercrime while also providing closure to the victims of his exploits.