Canadian authorities catch hacker connected to Snowflake data breaches

A hacker suspected of being involved in a series of major Snowflake-related hacks has been arrested in Canada, as reported by local authorities. Ian McLeod, a spokesperson for the Canadian Department of Justice, confirmed the arrest of Alexander Moucka (also known as Connor Moucka) on a provisional warrant requested by the United States.

The hackers targeted various companies, including AT&T, Ticketmaster, and Advanced Auto Parts, who use Snowflake for cloud services and data analysis. By exploiting stolen employee passwords, the hackers gained access to sensitive corporate data stored in Snowflake, prompting concerns about security measures.

The hacker, known as Waifu and Judische, had anticipated their arrest and had taken measures to protect themselves. The arrest of Moucka, along with the earlier arrest of his alleged co-conspirator John Binns, marks a significant development in addressing the cyber threats posed by these individuals.

Google spokesperson Mark Karayan identified Moucka as the culprit behind the Snowflake breaches. The arrest of Moucka is seen as a deterrent to cybercriminals, emphasizing the serious consequences of such actions, according to Austin Larsen, a senior threat analyst at Google’s cybersecurity firm Mandiant.

The impact of this arrest on cybersecurity efforts and the ongoing investigation into the Snowflake hacks remains to be seen.