Why did the court release the teenager who hacked the US and Spanish systems?
Spanish police have arrested an 18-year-old hacker named Natohub, who claimed responsibility for a series of cyberattacks on government agencies in the United States and Spain. The criminal is responsible for a series of cyberattacks on government and international organizations, including the Spanish Ministry of Defense, NATO, and even the US Army. According to investigators, he carried out at least 40 cyberattacks in 2024 alone.
The arrest took place in the city of Calpe (Alicante), where the hacker lived. He is charged with unauthorized access to computer systems, disclosure of confidential data, damage to information systems, and money laundering.
During a search of the criminal's home, computers were seized, and more than 50 cryptocurrency wallets with various digital assets were found. The hacker also used anonymous messengers and a complex network of encrypted channels, but the intelligence services still managed to establish his location. The court ruled to leave the hacker free, but confiscated his passport to prevent him from fleeing the country.
Natohub managed to gain access to NATO databases and other important systems. In particular, it hacked the alliance's cooperation portal, stealing the data of 362 employees of the organization. It also managed to penetrate the databases of the UN Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), from which 42,000 personal dossiers were extracted, including names, email addresses, and employment information.
The attack on ICAO was confirmed in December, when a post from Natohub with the stolen data appeared on the dark web. Natohub later announced that it had accessed the personal data of 14,000 UN delegates.
Post about hacking of NATO cooperation portal (Larazon)
Among the attacked organizations were Spanish structures: Employment Service (SEPE), General Directorate of Transport (DGT), National Factory of Coins and Stamps, as well as the Ministry of Defense of Spain. Despite the arrest, it remains unclear whether the hacker acted alone or had accomplices. Spanish law enforcement agencies continue to investigate to establish possible links between the hacker and other groups.
The Natohub case has become one of the most high-profile cybercrime incidents in Spain in recent times. The question of how effective modern methods of protection against cyberattacks are has once again come to the fore.
Spanish police have arrested an 18-year-old hacker named Natohub, who claimed responsibility for a series of cyberattacks on government agencies in the United States and Spain. The criminal is responsible for a series of cyberattacks on government and international organizations, including the Spanish Ministry of Defense, NATO, and even the US Army. According to investigators, he carried out at least 40 cyberattacks in 2024 alone.
The arrest took place in the city of Calpe (Alicante), where the hacker lived. He is charged with unauthorized access to computer systems, disclosure of confidential data, damage to information systems, and money laundering.
During a search of the criminal's home, computers were seized, and more than 50 cryptocurrency wallets with various digital assets were found. The hacker also used anonymous messengers and a complex network of encrypted channels, but the intelligence services still managed to establish his location. The court ruled to leave the hacker free, but confiscated his passport to prevent him from fleeing the country.
Natohub managed to gain access to NATO databases and other important systems. In particular, it hacked the alliance's cooperation portal, stealing the data of 362 employees of the organization. It also managed to penetrate the databases of the UN Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), from which 42,000 personal dossiers were extracted, including names, email addresses, and employment information.
The attack on ICAO was confirmed in December, when a post from Natohub with the stolen data appeared on the dark web. Natohub later announced that it had accessed the personal data of 14,000 UN delegates.
Post about hacking of NATO cooperation portal (Larazon)
Among the attacked organizations were Spanish structures: Employment Service (SEPE), General Directorate of Transport (DGT), National Factory of Coins and Stamps, as well as the Ministry of Defense of Spain. Despite the arrest, it remains unclear whether the hacker acted alone or had accomplices. Spanish law enforcement agencies continue to investigate to establish possible links between the hacker and other groups.
The Natohub case has become one of the most high-profile cybercrime incidents in Spain in recent times. The question of how effective modern methods of protection against cyberattacks are has once again come to the fore.