Crackerzzz
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2
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Man arrested in Canada over series of Snowflake hacks this year
The news follows months of major data breaches, including those at AT&T, Ticketmaster, and LendingTree . The hacker, who goes by the aliases Judische and Waifu, has been linked to more than 165 breaches of Snowflake systems . The arrest comes after journalists reported that cyber researchers had collected valuable data on the suspect and were cooperating with international law enforcement.
Messages sent by journalists to Judische over the past week have gone unread; the last communication with him was on October 27. In mid-October, Judische told reporters that he feared being arrested. “I destroyed a lot of evidence and covered up what couldn’t be destroyed. If that happens, it will be considered a conspiracy that I can buy off and win,” he said.
The hacker typically used data collected through infostealers to gain access to the accounts of customers of Snowflake, a data storage platform used by large companies. Judische has often attempted to blackmail companies and, if they refused, would publish the stolen data.
Researchers have previously suggested that Judische is based in Canada. When rumors of Judische’s possible arrest began to circulate, a source told reporters that the suspect’s real name was Connor Mowka. Reporters then checked the Canadian court records system and found information about an upcoming hearing in a case with that name . Another source familiar with the hacker’s activities confirmed that this was indeed the alleged Snowflake hacker.
After initially declining to comment, Canada’s Department of Justice sent reporters an email confirming, “We can confirm that, at the request of the United States, Alexander Mowka (aka Connor Mowka) was arrested on a temporary arrest warrant on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 . He appeared in court later that day and his case has been rescheduled for Tuesday, November 5, 2024.”
Before his arrest, Judische began telling reporters his story of how he came to be and how he entered a criminal hacking ecosystem called The Com. The community, made up primarily of young, English-speaking hackers, has been behind some of the most significant hacks of recent years. The Com members have also pioneered a new type of criminality that combines physical and digital attacks, and sometimes violence, to seize access to accounts or steal funds from rivals.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the FBI declined to comment.
The news from today’s trial has already emerged, and the following has emerged:
On Tuesday, Connor Mowka, the alleged hacker known as Judische and Waifu,, the suspect in the hacking of AT&T, Ticketmaster and several other companies this year, appeared in court in Canada without a lawyer as part of his extradition to the United States.
Mouka joined the hearing remotely from jail, and with a slight Canadian accent, explained that he had not yet been able to find a lawyer because the prison was often on lockdown .
“Hello? Hello?” Mouka asked before the hearing began. “The prison is on lockdown a lot, and I’ve only been able to call a couple of times […] I think I’ll get a lawyer soon ,” he added.
One of the lawyers in the room mentioned that Mouka’s family had contacted him to offer to represent him. After a short pause, the pair returned to the courtroom and said Mouka had applied for legal aid .
When the judge asked at the end if he had anything else to add, Mouka replied, “Nothing else . ”
The news follows months of major data breaches, including those at AT&T, Ticketmaster, and LendingTree . The hacker, who goes by the aliases Judische and Waifu, has been linked to more than 165 breaches of Snowflake systems . The arrest comes after journalists reported that cyber researchers had collected valuable data on the suspect and were cooperating with international law enforcement.
Messages sent by journalists to Judische over the past week have gone unread; the last communication with him was on October 27. In mid-October, Judische told reporters that he feared being arrested. “I destroyed a lot of evidence and covered up what couldn’t be destroyed. If that happens, it will be considered a conspiracy that I can buy off and win,” he said.
The hacker typically used data collected through infostealers to gain access to the accounts of customers of Snowflake, a data storage platform used by large companies. Judische has often attempted to blackmail companies and, if they refused, would publish the stolen data.
Researchers have previously suggested that Judische is based in Canada. When rumors of Judische’s possible arrest began to circulate, a source told reporters that the suspect’s real name was Connor Mowka. Reporters then checked the Canadian court records system and found information about an upcoming hearing in a case with that name . Another source familiar with the hacker’s activities confirmed that this was indeed the alleged Snowflake hacker.
After initially declining to comment, Canada’s Department of Justice sent reporters an email confirming, “We can confirm that, at the request of the United States, Alexander Mowka (aka Connor Mowka) was arrested on a temporary arrest warrant on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 . He appeared in court later that day and his case has been rescheduled for Tuesday, November 5, 2024.”
Before his arrest, Judische began telling reporters his story of how he came to be and how he entered a criminal hacking ecosystem called The Com. The community, made up primarily of young, English-speaking hackers, has been behind some of the most significant hacks of recent years. The Com members have also pioneered a new type of criminality that combines physical and digital attacks, and sometimes violence, to seize access to accounts or steal funds from rivals.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the FBI declined to comment.
The news from today’s trial has already emerged, and the following has emerged:
On Tuesday, Connor Mowka, the alleged hacker known as Judische and Waifu,, the suspect in the hacking of AT&T, Ticketmaster and several other companies this year, appeared in court in Canada without a lawyer as part of his extradition to the United States.
Mouka joined the hearing remotely from jail, and with a slight Canadian accent, explained that he had not yet been able to find a lawyer because the prison was often on lockdown .
“Hello? Hello?” Mouka asked before the hearing began. “The prison is on lockdown a lot, and I’ve only been able to call a couple of times […] I think I’ll get a lawyer soon ,” he added.
One of the lawyers in the room mentioned that Mouka’s family had contacted him to offer to represent him. After a short pause, the pair returned to the courtroom and said Mouka had applied for legal aid .
When the judge asked at the end if he had anything else to add, Mouka replied, “Nothing else . ”
