After FBI Breach.. Jordan Arrests a Member of "Shiny Hunters"

The Jordanian authorities have arrested a key member of the "Shiny Hunters" hacking group, which announced the theft of data from employees of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), according to the official source reported by the "Kingdom" channel.

The source added that investigations are ongoing with the suspect regarding the group's activities and the parties associated with it.

Reuters reported from its sources that the Jordanian authorities have detained "Saif al-Din K.", known in hacking circles as "Re", since last Tuesday, while the location of his detention or the circumstances surrounding it remain unclear.

Two sources stated that the suspect is cooperating with the FBI to reveal the identities of his partners among the hackers. The sources added that he has provided investigators with his electronic devices and digital communications to help locate the remaining members of the group.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to comment on the detention of "Saif al-Din" or any activities he may have outside the United States, but stated that it continues an "intensive investigation" into the latest cyber incident attributed to "Shiny Hunters."

The FBI indicated that its cooperation with partners has already resulted in the arrest of several suspects, affirming that it will continue to pursue those responsible for the attack.

The detention of "S. K." represents the latest development in the case of the group (Shiny Hunters). Experts believe that this group, which has a long history of targeting major companies around the world, is mostly composed of young English-speaking hackers focused on data theft and extortion.

An analysis conducted by "Reuters" of a sample of data published by the (Shiny Hunters) group revealed that it included extensive personal identification information about FBI employees, sensitive information about their job roles, and psychological and medical information.

A source stated that the suspect's cooperation could assist investigators in containing the fallout from the breach and determining the extent of the damages, as well as helping to reach the remaining hackers, adding that this cooperation is "important for the ongoing efforts to apprehend these cybercriminals."

"Shiny Hunters" is a group consisting of several young hackers who have carried out dozens of data breaches since around 2019. The group typically engages in what is known as "ransom or publish" attacks, demanding millions of dollars in exchange for not publishing the stolen data, according to the New York Times.

It seems that the name of the group is inspired by "Pokemon" games, specifically players who dedicate a lot of time and effort to searching for rare shiny "Pokemon" characters.

The recent arrests provide a glimpse into the group's members and indicate that it operates across different countries around the world.

In 2022, Sebastian Raoul, a French citizen who was 22 years old at the time, was convicted of participating in some "Shiny Hunters" attacks after being arrested in Morocco. He was extradited to the United States for trial and sentenced to 3 years in prison.

Last year, other individuals suspected of belonging to the group were arrested in France. All of them were young, born between 2001 and 2004, and officials described them as highly isolated.

On Monday, information security journalist Brian Krebs reported that Dutch authorities arrested a 24-year-old convicted cybercriminal on suspicion of assisting in data theft and extortion related to "Shiny Hunters," just days before the FBI breach. The group denied on Monday that the suspect was connected to them.