This article reports on the case of a hacker named Kipf, who was arrested and sentenced to 81 months in prison for his involvement in various cybercrimes. Here are some key points from the article:
Kipf’s crimes:
- Hacking into government and corporate networks, causing around $80,000 in damages
- Using doctor’s stolen credentials to create a fake death certificate in Hawaii
- Selling personal information of hacking victims to people in Algeria, Ukraine, and Russia
- Providing access information for a Marriott vendor system to Russians
- Hacking into GuestTek and Milestone, two vendors who worked with Marriott hotels
Investigation:
- Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm, helped the FBI investigate Kipf’s activities
- The investigation found that Kipf had a history of cybercrime dating back several years
- Kipf’s devices were seized by the FBI, which found evidence of his crimes, including past Google searches suggesting he was trying to avoid paying child support
Plea deal:
- Kipf reached a plea deal with prosecutors, admitting to his crimes and agreeing to serve 81 months in prison
- He also agreed to pay $116,000 for unpaid child support
Sentencing:
- Kipf’s lawyer argued that he had mental health issues, including paranoid delusions and schizophrenia, which contributed to his behavior
- The judge sentenced Kipf to 81 months in prison, just shy of seven years
- Under federal law, Kipf must serve at least 85% of his sentence, or more than five years.