Teenager allegedly headed international hacking ring

Sophos reports that a teenager from New Zealand, believed to be the brains behind an international cyber gang, has been arrested. The gang was allegedly responsible for infecting more then one million computers, stealing bank and credit card information, and embezzling more than USD 20 million. It is suspected that the teenager, known only by his cyber moniker ‘AKILL’ was the head of the gang and began his hacking activity while still at school.

According to reports, the arrest, which is part of a international crackdown on cybercrime, came about following a joint operation between the FBI and police authorities in New Zealand and the Netherlands. Possible charges against the teenager could include unauthorised access to computers and possessing computer hacking tools – charges that carry a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. The teenager has been released without charge, but is reported to be helping police further with their investigations.