Brazil’s Polícia Federal recently made headlines with the arrest of the notorious hacker known as USDoD, who has been linked to high-profile data breaches affecting major organizations such as Airbus, the FBI’s InfraGard portal, National Public Data, and TransUnion. The arrest took place in Belo Horizonte/MG and shed light on the identity of the hacker, who was previously known only by his online moniker.
A detailed investigation conducted by CrowdStrike revealed that USDoD’s real name is Luan BG, a 33-year-old man residing in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Luan BG started off as a hacktivist back in 2017 but eventually transitioned to more complex cybercriminal activities by 2022. His lack of technical expertise and poor operational security practices made it easier for investigators to trace his online activities, leading to his identification and subsequent arrest by the authorities.
Despite attempting to conceal his identity through various means, Luan BG’s online presence and digital footprints ultimately gave him away. His claim of dual Brazilian and Portuguese citizenship residing in Spain was debunked by evidence tying him to Brazil through financial records and other online traces. Upon interrogation, Luan BG admitted to his real identity and confirmed his involvement in the cybercrimes attributed to USDoD.
The arrest of Luan BG was part of Operation Data Breach launched by the Federal Police, aimed at investigating cyber intrusions targeting the systems of the Federal Police and other international institutions. The operation resulted in the seizure of evidence related to data breaches committed by the hacker, including the unauthorized access and sale of Federal Police data on various occasions. Luan BG also boasted of disclosing sensitive information belonging to 80,000 members of InfraGard, a collaboration between the FBI and private critical infrastructure entities in the United States.
The investigation into Luan BG’s activities is still ongoing, as authorities work to uncover any other data breaches and cybercrimes he may have been involved in. The arrest of such a notorious hacker like USDoD sends a clear message that cybercriminals are not beyond the reach of law enforcement agencies, and measures are being taken to hold them accountable for their actions.
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