A 24-year-old Dutch man, previously known for his transition from cybercriminal to a reformed security expert, was apprehended by Dutch authorities in connection with the hacker group ShinyHunters, as confirmed by the man’s employer and Dutch police on Monday. The individual, Pepijn van der Stap, who serves as the offensive security lead at Neo Security in Amsterdam, was arrested during a police raid following an investigation.
Benjamin Korper, the boss at Neo Security, mentioned that Dutch forensic investigators visited their office on September 15, coinciding with Van der Stap’s arrest. Despite Van der Stap’s past convictions for data theft and extortion, which garnered significant media attention, Korper expressed shock at the recent turn of events, emphasizing that he had thoroughly vetted Van der Stap before hiring him.
The arrest sparked astonishment among acquaintances, with Korper stating, “Absolutely everybody I talked to is flabbergasted.” An official statement from ShinyHunters to CBC News denied any association with Van der Stap, labeling the Dutch police as “unskilled and incompetent.”
The investigation stems from a cyberattack on Dutch telecoms company Odido in February, which ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for. Although Korper enlisted an external firm to probe into potential breaches at Neo Security or its clientele by Van der Stap, no evidence has surfaced so far implicating him in any misconduct against the company or its customers.
Efforts to contact Van der Stap or engage legal representation following the arrest were fruitless. The news of Van der Stap’s apprehension was initially disclosed by independent journalist Brian Krebs. ShinyHunters is notorious for engaging in large-scale data theft and extortion, with recent claims of hacking the FBI and obtaining sensitive information on current and former FBI personnel.