Cameron John Wagenius Ex-U.S. Army soldier pleads guilty to hacking telecoms. He tried to extort these companies along with strong-arming them into his criminal enterprises. The plea comes as part of a broader investigation into a significant breach that involved stealing sensitive call records from major companies, including AT&T and Verizon. He faces a possible prison sentence of up to 20 years, with his sentencing set for October 6.
This hacking scheme has caused a great deal of nervousness among state and local officials for its widespread scope. It began with a breach by the cloud computing behemoth Snowflake. From that access point, Wagenius and his co-conspirators moved undetected through systems at major U.S. telecommunication companies, raiding millions of Americans’ calling histories. From the day after the hacking incident, they started to extort these companies. They threatened to release the stolen files and leveraged both public and private channels to exert pressure on their targets.
Wagenius used online hacking forums like BreachForums to help them carry out their extortion scheme. This strategy recognizes the growing sophistication of cybercriminals who use digital platforms to facilitate their criminal enterprises. The case reveals serious flaws in the telecommunications industry’s approach to infrastructure cybersecurity. It zaps the credibility of public assurances that sensitive customer information is safe and secure.
We will be joined by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai, a Senior Writer at TechCrunch covering hacking, cybersecurity, surveillance and privacy. His background knowledge and practical understanding of these matters is critical for making sense of the impact of perverse crimes, especially like those that Wagenius committed. Securely reachable on Signal at +1 917 257 1382 or via Keybase/Telegram at @lorenzofb. He is additionally available on Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp at +1 (510) 812-8819. lorenzo@techcrunch.com
Even as the case progresses, it underscores the continued dangers that cybercriminals continue to threaten livelihoods and communities with. This scenario is a perfect example of why organizations need to adopt strong cybersecurity standards. The consequences of these types of breaches go beyond monetary effects. They put personal privacy—and even public safety—at risk.
