prison sentence Archives

TrendTechie

April 2, 2025

Создателя торрент-сайта и участника группы The Scene приговорили к тюрьме в Дании

A Danish court sentenced a 46-year-old man to nine months in prison for uploading about 74 terabytes of pirated films and shows to torrent trackers SuperBits and DanishBytes. A 48-year-old man received a twelve-month sentence for hosting servers that distributed pirated content linked to The Scene. Over five years, Danish law enforcement has intensified efforts against local torrent sites, convicting over twenty individuals, including uploaders and administrators. The 48-year-old illegally copied content from three streaming services specializing in Danish children's series and possessed 134 terabytes of copyrighted material. He was active in The Scene from November 2021 until his arrest in November 2023. Following the arrests, several factions of The Scene in Denmark stopped producing new content, including DKiDS, which last uploaded on November 21, 2023. Neither convicted individual profited from the distribution, and both had no prior criminal records. The volume of illegally shared content influenced the court's decisions. In summer 2020, a significant operation led to the shutdown of multiple pirate sites, with American authorities arresting key figures from The Scene.

TrendTechie

March 13, 2025

Соучредитель файлообменника The Pirate Bay погиб в авиакатастрофе

Karl Lundström, co-founder of the torrent tracker Pirate Bay, died in a plane crash on March 10 while traveling from Zagreb to Zurich. The Slovenian police reported that poor visibility due to bad weather likely contributed to the accident. Lundström was a Swedish politician and businessman who significantly influenced file sharing since Pirate Bay's inception in 2003. He faced legal issues with copyright holders, receiving a one-year prison sentence that was later reduced to four months, and was fined 32 million Swedish kronor (approximately €3 million).

TrendTechie

March 12, 2025

Спонсор The Pirate Bay Карл Лундстрём погиб в авиакатастрофе

Karl Lundström, a notable entrepreneur and early supporter of The Pirate Bay, died in a plane crash in the Slovenian mountains while piloting his Mooney M-20 aircraft from Zagreb to Zurich. He was flying solo at the time of the accident, which involved the aircraft crashing into a cottage on Velika Planina mountain. Lundström was a key financial backer of The Pirate Bay and played a significant role in its early operations. He was charged with aiding and abetting copyright infringement and received a reduced prison sentence along with a fine of 32 million Swedish kronor. Lundström was involved in politics, initially supporting the Progress Party before joining Alternative for Sweden in 2018, where he served as district leader. He was also an heir to the Swedish bread manufacturer Wasabröd.

Winsage

November 29, 2024

Breach Roundup: Microsoft Tries Again With Windows Recall

Microsoft has unveiled a preview of its Windows Recall feature, designed to capture screenshots of active windows using on-device AI and store them in an SQLite database. The feature will be opt-in and requires users to enable BitLocker full-disk encryption, activate Secure Boot, and enroll in Windows Hello. Recall aims to avoid capturing sensitive information and allows users to delete snapshots or exclude specific applications. Microsoft has implemented safeguards to protect against brute-force attacks, and the data collected remains encrypted locally. The preview is currently available to participants in the Windows Insider Program for Developers. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that nearly 90% of smart device manufacturers lack clear update policies, with 161 out of 184 products reviewed not disclosing software update durations. This lack of transparency may violate the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and the FTC Act. Ping Li, a Florida IT professional, was sentenced to four years in prison for acting as an agent for China's Ministry of State Security, providing sensitive information since at least 2012. He pleaded guilty and was fined ,000. Operation "Serengeti" led to the arrest of over 1,000 individuals suspected of cybercrime across 19 African countries, resulting in nearly million in financial losses and the confiscation of around million in stolen funds. The U.S. Department of Justice indicted nine individuals linked to a multi-state money laundering scheme associated with internet fraud, allegedly laundering over million since 2016. NVIDIA released a critical firmware update to address a high-severity vulnerability (CVE-2024-0130) that could allow attackers to steal data and compromise systems. Cybersecurity firm McAfee discovered "spyloan" Android apps on the Google Play Store that aim to steal users' personal data, targeting users in Mexico, Colombia, and Indonesia. An international law enforcement operation dismantled a pirate streaming network serving over 22 million users and generating approximately million monthly, resulting in 102 arrests. Nicholas Michael Kloster, a 31-year-old from Kansas City, was indicted for allegedly hacking into computer networks to promote his cybersecurity services, facing multiple charges with a potential 15-year prison sentence. HDFC Life Insurance in India is investigating a potential data breach involving the sharing of certain data fields with malicious intent.

AppWizard

November 18, 2024

US Air National Guardsman gets 15 years for leaking military secrets on a Minecraft Discord server: ‘The scope of his betrayal is breathtaking… the amount of damage immeasurable’

Jack Teixeira, a 22-year-old former member of the U.S. Air National Guard, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for stealing and disseminating classified military secrets. He served with the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts since September 2019. In early 2022, he accessed top-secret documents and shared them on a private Discord server focused on Minecraft, which later spread to public social media platforms. The court highlighted the severe damage to national security caused by his actions. Teixeira admitted the illegality of his actions, trivializing his military oath and suggesting personal motivations took precedence. He attempted to cover up his actions by instructing others to delete materials and destroying his devices, which were later found by authorities. He was arrested in April 2023 after Discord provided his address to law enforcement. In addition to his prison sentence, he received three years of probation.