Julius Kivimäki, a hacker infamous across Europe, has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison for blackmailing 33,000 therapy patients with their stolen confidential records. This sentencing concludes Kivimäki’s 11-year spree of cyber-crimes, starting when he was just 13 years old and involved in teenage hacking gangs. His criminal activities, including high-profile attacks, marked his rise in the hacking world.
Tiina, one of the victims, received a chilling email on a typical Finnish Saturday night, detailing personal information like her social security number, which had been taken from her therapy records. The hacker, known as “ransom_man,” demanded a ransom of €200 to prevent her private records from being published online within 24 hours. Tiina described the suffocating feeling of having her privacy violated. Soon, she realized she was one of 33,000 patients targeted in a massive breach.
The stolen data, which included sensitive confessions and personal details, was used for blackmail, as the hacker threatened to release this information unless victims paid up. The breach, which occurred during the 2020 lockdowns, shocked Finland and the global cyber-security community. Many victims had their lives devastated by the leak, with some reportedly taking their own lives due to the emotional toll.
Kivimäki, notorious for his past involvement in the Lizard Squad and Hack the Planet groups, continued his criminal activities even after his 2014 conviction for 50,700 hacking offenses. Though given a two-year suspended sentence, he resumed his hacking career, culminating in the Vastaamo breach.
In 2023, authorities traced Kivimäki’s connection to the hack. His capture, a result of a mistaken domestic disturbance call to the police, led to his extradition back to Finland, where he faced trial. Using cutting-edge forensic techniques, Finnish police linked Kivimäki to the crime, and he was convicted of aggravated data breach, blackmail, and unlawful dissemination of personal information.
Despite his sentencing to six years and three months, Kivimäki is expected to serve only half due to Finland’s lenient justice system. The victims, including Tiina, feel that this sentence does not reflect the severity of the crimes committed. They are now awaiting compensation, while Kivimäki remains tight-lipped about the whereabouts of his bitcoin holdings.
The Vastaamo hack has sparked a call for legal reforms in Finland, as the country’s justice system was ill-equipped to handle such large-scale breaches. Many are hopeful that the case will lead to stronger data protection laws to safeguard against similar attacks in the future.