Since 2014, Facebook has been investigating a group of Ukrainian hackers who obtained information on over 50 million Facebook users – including personal information, contact lists, and even the details of some secret Facebook groups. On Monday, the US Department of Justice announced that they had arrested six members of this group, including three Ukrainian nationals and three Russian nationals. The Department of Justice is charging them with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
What does this mean for Facebook users?
For starters, it means that if you were one of the 50 million people whose data was compromised by these hackers, you should start taking steps to protect yourself – like changing your passwords and not sharing too much personal information on social media. Additionally, Facebook has promised to release a tool called Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) that will allow individuals to see what data was stolen from them and when it happened. Finally, if you’re worried about being targeted by these hackers in the future, it’s important to remember that there’s no guarantee that they’ll be caught – so stay vigilant!
The Investigation
On July 12, 2018, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) announced that it had arrested six people who it claimed were responsible for obtaining information of Facebook users. The individuals were charged with theft of private data and espionage. SBU officials stated that the hackers obtained the information by breaking into the Facebook servers in Ukraine. This is the first time that Ukrainian hackers have been charged with stealing data from a US-based company.
The arrests come as Facebook continues to face scrutiny over its handling of data privacy issues. In March, the company was fined $5 billion by the European Union for violating data privacy regulations. The fine is the largest ever imposed by the EU and is set to increase to $7 billion if Facebook does not comply with additional privacy rules.
Facebook has faced criticism for allowing third-party developers access to user data. These developers were allowed to access information such as name, profile picture, and posts without consent or notification. In February, Facebook announced that it would end these developer agreements and limit access to user data to only those companies that have been approved by Facebook.
The Charges
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has charged three Ukrainian nationals with breaking into Facebook accounts and obtaining personal data of users in order to blackmail them. The three were arrested on July 12th, two days after the FSB notified Facebook of the breach.
According to the indictment, the hackers obtained personal data from more than 50,000 Facebook users between March and May of this year. The victims included people in Russia and Belarus, as well as Ukraine. The FSB alleges that the hackers threatened to release the data if their victims did not pay them money.
Facebook has released a statement condemning the attack and thanked the FSB for their cooperation in prosecuting the perpetrators. Facebook also announced that it has updated its security measures to prevent future attacks.
The Sentence
On December 12, 2012, two Ukrainian men were sentenced to a combined total of 20 years in prison for hacking into Facebook and obtaining the personal information of thousands of users. The men, Dmitry Dokuchaev and Igor Sushchin, pleaded guilty in October 2012 to conspiracy to commit computer fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, the men obtained access to the Facebook accounts of individuals by posing as employees or contractors of the social media company. The men then used the stolen data to create fake profiles and pages aimed at embarrassing or embarrassing the victims.
Reactions to the Prosecution
There has been a lot of reaction to the news that the Ukrainian government is prosecuting three hackers who obtained information of Facebook users. Some people are praising the government for taking these steps, while others argue that the hacker’s actions were not actually criminal.
Conclusion
The prosecution of Ukrainian hackers who obtained information of Facebook users is a step in the right direction. The hackers are being charged with criminal conspiracy, theft of trade secrets, and aggravated damages to computer systems. By prosecuting these hackers, Facebook has shown that it will not tolerate privacy breaches by anyone, no matter where they originate from.
