Episode 488 of the Smashing Security podcast, hosted by Graham Cluley with guest Paul Ducklin, covers several recent security stories. The lead item is the arrest by the FBI of an executive at a ransomware negotiation firm, reportedly at a cybersecurity conference, in connection with the investigation into the ShinyHunters gang. The hosts…
The FBI arrested a Canadian cybersecurity executive in Pennsylvania on October 8, 2026, in connection with its investigation into the ShinyHunters extortion group. Court records point to Edward Dubrovsky, a ransomware negotiation specialist formerly of Cypfer and now associated with CyberSteward. He faces charges of conspiracy to threaten…
In his weekly update, Troy Hunt notes that the ShinyHunters group appears to be on an escalating trajectory, reportedly targeting both the Cl0p ransomware group and the FBI. Hunt describes this as feeling like a crescendo in the group's activities and says that provoking US federal law enforcement is unlikely to help the group's longevity…
Federal investigators examining ShinyHunters have uncovered potential links between the extortion group and executives at two ransomware negotiation firms, according to a KrebsOnSecurity report published on October 19. An executive at an unnamed U.S. consulting firm (reportedly 1,000+ employees) allegedly helped operate the group's extort…
U.S. federal investigators pursuing ShinyHunters, which recently stole sensitive personnel data from the FBI recruitment site fbijobs.gov, reportedly identified executives at two ransomware negotiation firms with unusually close ties to the group. One U.S. consulting firm executive is suspected of helping operate the now-defunct extortion…
This SentinelOne weekly roundup covers law enforcement wins and two major breaches. A federal court sentenced former U.S. Army soldier Cameron John Wagenius to 70 months for attacks on technology and telecom firms, and former U.S. Air Force members Chijioke Timothy Odimegwu and Harafat Mogaji received a combined 189 months for business em…
The FBI has publicly called on remaining ShinyHunters members to surrender. Cyber division assistant director Brett Leatherman released a video thanking Dutch police for arresting a 24-year-old in Amsterdam. The FBI calls him "one of the alleged leaders" of the group, while Dutch police say only that he played a role. He is also suspected…
Dutch authorities arrested a 24-year-old, reportedly Pepijn van der Stap (alias "Umbreon"), around Sept. 16, 2026 on suspicion of aiding data thefts and extortions by ShinyHunters. Van der Stap was previously convicted in 2023 for data theft and extortion. Days after the arrest, remaining ShinyHunters members escalated, breaching the FBI …