The Bottom Line Upfront
A Finnish hacker named Aleksanteri Kivimäki has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison for stealing patient records from a psychotherapy clinic and using them to blackmail the patients. He demanded ransom payments in exchange for not leaking the data.
The Breakdown
- Kivimäki, known as "Zeekill," breached the IT system of Psychotherapy Center Vastaamo Oy in 2018 and started posting sensitive patient information online.
- He demanded ransom payments of €200 ($213) from the victims, increasing the amount to €500 ($534) if the payment was not made within 24 hours.
- Kivimäki's actions caused a significant increase in Finland's crime figures, doubling the average rate.
- He was arrested in France after a warrant for his arrest was issued in 2022.
- The court found evidence linking Kivimäki to the data breach and extortion through messages he posted on an online forum under his pseudonym.
