Source URL: https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/20/us_army_snowflake_theft/
Source: The Register
Title: US Army soldier linked to Snowflake extortion rampage admits breaking the law
Feedly Summary: That’s the way the cookie melts
A US Army soldier suspected of hacking AT&T and Verizon has admitted leaking online people’s private call records.…
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The text reports on a US Army soldier, Cameron John Wagenius, who has pleaded guilty to unlawfully transferring private call records. This incident illustrates significant vulnerabilities related to telecommunications security and the dangerous intersection of military personnel with cybercrime that exploits cloud services like Snowflake. The case highlights ongoing concerns about data breaches, extortion, and the implications for both individual privacy and organizational security.
Detailed Description:
The incident involves Cameron John Wagenius, a US Army soldier accused of hacking AT&T and Verizon and subsequently leaking sensitive call records online. The story is not merely about one individual’s wrongdoing; it reflects larger issues of cybersecurity in telecommunications and cloud computing. Key points include:
– **Pleas and Charges**: Wagenius has opted to plead guilty to two counts of unlawfully transferring confidential phone records, highlighting the seriousness with which legal authorities regard such infractions.
– **Connection to Cybercrime**: His case is linked to a broader criminal conspiracy involving two other suspects accused of stealing data from more than 150 Snowflake cloud accounts, bringing to light risks associated with cloud environments in handling sensitive information.
– **Personal Data Vulnerability**: The fact that sensitive call logs, including those of public officials like Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, were targeted illustrates the critical vulnerabilities associated with telecommunications security.
– **Threats of Further Leaks**: The hacker, using the alias Kiberphant0m, made threats regarding the potential release of sensitive government call logs, which raises questions about the security of governmental communications in the face of cyber threats.
– **Use of Custom Tools**: The mention of custom software named “Rapeflake” for sifting through compromised information shows how cybercriminals utilize specialized tools to facilitate their attacks, indicating a need for more sophisticated security measures in cloud services.
– **Criminal Outcomes**: The accused face severe penalties, including significant prison time and fines, but these cases also raise the issue of deterrence and the legal repercussions of drawn-out cybercrime activities.
This revelation serves as a reminder for organizations, especially those in telecommunications and cloud computing, to reinforce security measures and comply with data protection regulations to mitigate the risk of similar breaches.