From Teenage Cyber-Thug to Europe's Most Wanted

 

From Teenage Cyber-Thug to Europe's Most Wanted: The Julius Kivimäki Story

Julius Kivimäki, a notorious hacker, has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison for blackmailing 33,000 therapy patients with their stolen session notes. This marks the end of an 11-year cybercrime spree that began when Kivimäki was just 13 years old.

Kivimäki's hacking career started in the early 2010s, when he rose to prominence in a network of anarchic teenage hacking gangs. He was known as Zeekill and was infamous for his brazen attacks on various targets, including gaming platforms and websites. Despite being arrested and sentenced to a suspended prison term in 2014, Kivimäki continued his cybercrime activities.

In 2020, Kivimäki carried out a massive hack on Vastaamo, a Finnish psychotherapy center, stealing sensitive patient data, including therapy session notes. He then blackmailed the patients, demanding €200-€500 in exchange for not publishing their information online. The hack and subsequent blackmailing affected 33,000 patients, causing widespread distress and anxiety.

The investigation into the hack was one of the largest in Finnish history, involving over 200 officers and international cooperation. Kivimäki was eventually tracked down in Paris, where he was living under a fake identity. He was extradited to Finland and put on trial, where he maintained his innocence despite overwhelming evidence against him.

The trial was a significant event in Finland, with reporters present every day and international media covering the story. Kivimäki's sentencing marks a milestone in the fight against cybercrime, but for victims like Tiina Parikka, the sentence is not enough. Tiina, one of the 33,000 patients affected, described the experience as "suffocating" and feels that Kivimäki's sentence does not reflect the severity of his crimes.

The case has also raised questions about Finland's justice system and its ability to handle large-scale cybercrime cases. Lawyer Jenni Raiskio, who represents 2,600 of the victims, has called for changes to the law to better deal with future mass hack cases.

Kivimäki's story serves as a warning about the dangers of cybercrime and the importance of protecting sensitive information. His case has also highlighted the need for international cooperation in combating cybercrime, as well as the need for harsher sentences for those who engage in such activities.

In the end, Kivimäki's sentence may not be enough to deter others from engaging in similar activities, but it marks a significant step in the fight against cybercrime. As Det Ch Supt Marko Leponen, who led the investigation, said, "This really is historical in Finland because our system is not ready for this amount of victims. The Vastaamo hack has showed us that we have to be prepared for these large cases."