Tech Roundup: Feds get hacker behind biggest leak in Brazil

You’re reading The Brazilian Report’s weekly tech roundup, a digest of the most important news on technology and innovation in Brazil. This week’s topics: the hacker behind Brazil’s biggest data leak ever, Huawei expansion plans, and the startups in the coronavirus vaccine race. 

Police arrest alleged hacker behind biggest leak in Brazilian history

The Brazilian Federal Police launched an operation against five people allegedly responsible for the biggest private data leak in Brazilian history. According to Dfndr lab, a cybersecurity laboratory from software company Psafe, 223 million citizens were affected by the hack, including deceased individuals. A database including names, taxpayer IDs, email addresses, and physical addresses obtained from 57 government data sources was put up for sale on a dark web forum.

• A portion of the data was made available for free as a “teaser” for potential buyers.

Why it matters. This is the first major investigation led by the National Data Protection Authority, which began operations this year after the Senate confirmed its board members late in 2020.

The hacker. The police carried out four search and seizure warrants in the northeastern city of Petrolina and arrested a 24-year-old man in Uberlândia, in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. Police believe that the man in question, Marcos Roberto Correia da Silva, is the notorious Brazilian hacker known as VandaTheGod. 

• Another hacker known as JustBR is also under investigation.

High-profile hacker VandaTheGod. In May of last year, we told the story of VandaThe God. At the time, he had already invaded 4,820 websites in over 40 countries, including pages from at least seven national governments. Authorities say he had been conducting data theft operations since 2013.

• One of the most famous feats by the hacker involved stealing the personal data of 1 million patients of medical centers in New Zealand, which he tried to sell for USD 200 on social media.

Suspicions. The Federal Police suspect high authorities may be among the victims...