Photo credit: www.foxnews.com
Alleged Co-Founder of Anonymous Arrested in Connection with Texas Republican Party Hack
An individual believed to be a co-founder of the hacker collective Anonymous has been apprehended following a data breach incident involving the Texas Republican Party in 2021. Aubrey Cottle, a 37-year-old Canadian national known by the pseudonym “Kirtaner,” faces numerous charges, including unauthorized access and data theft.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Cottle was charged with infiltrating the Texas Republican Party’s web server to acquire sensitive information. His arrest occurred in Canada on Wednesday, where local authorities are reportedly pursuing additional legal actions under Canadian law, as indicated by the DOJ.
Details of the Charges
Cottle’s legal troubles in Texas involve accusations of “unlawfully transferring, possessing or using a means of identification” with the intent to facilitate unlawful activities, as stated in a DOJ press release.
His LinkedIn profile portrays him as a “Filthy blackhat but good boi” and identifies him as a founder of Anonymous—a group notorious for targeting government institutions as a form of protest. In a somewhat irreverent tone, Cottle acknowledges his role, referencing cultural motifs associated with the group such as the Guy Fawkes mask.
The Breach and Its Aftermath
According to acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas, Cottle gained illicit access to a third-party hosting service, “Epik,” before defacing the Texas GOP’s website. The website’s landing page was altered to reflect a politically charged message, including imagery and clips that contrasted sharply with its original content.
The hacked webpage featured a banner that criticized the Texas government, with a slogan highlighting perceived injustices against women, accompanied by graphic images and videos.
The DOJ also reported that Cottle stole a backup of the server containing personal identifying information from the Republican Party, which he subsequently posted online for public access. Cottle has been noted to have boasted about his hacking activities on various social media platforms.
Previous Controversies
This incident aligns with Cottle’s earlier involvement in another high-profile data breach. He has been linked to a political doxing incident concerning the Christian crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo, which became prominent due to its association with the Canada Freedom Convoy fundraising campaigns. In that breach, personal details of donors were unlawfully disclosed online, an act that sparked widespread condemnation.
GiveSendGo’s founder, Jacob Wells, expressed deep concerns about the implications, stressing the need for legal accountability and a thorough investigation into the breach, which he labeled as unacceptable.
The current investigation into Cottle is being spearheaded by the FBI’s Austin Cyber Task Force, with Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Karthik Srinivasan overseeing the prosecution. Should he be found guilty, Cottle faces a potential sentence of up to five years in prison.
As the case unfolds, it raises broader questions about cybersecurity and the ethical boundaries of activism in the digital age, particularly in a climate where political tensions are often amplified by online actions.
Source
www.foxnews.com