Federal prosecutors arrested a Canadian cybersecurity executive on extortion charges as the FBI investigates a major breach of its employee portal. The arrest follows recent international detentions tied to the ShinyHunters hacking group, which claimed responsibility for compromising the unclassified apply.fbijobs.gov job application system.
Federal Prosecutors Charge Edward Dubrovsky With Extortion
Federal authorities arrested 54-year-old Canadian cybersecurity executive Edward Dubrovsky in Pennsylvania on federal extortion charges, according to court documents reviewed by CyberScoop.
Federal prosecutors moved for detention, and the motion was granted. While the formal criminal complaint is sealed, independent security journalist Brian Krebs and other outlets reported that the arrest is connected to the ongoing federal investigation into the ShinyHunters hacking collective.
Prior to his recent work with CyberSteward, Dubrovsky’s professional background included teaching courses in cybersecurity engineering, security assessment, and testing, as well as serving as Aon’s Canadian cyber leader.
Hackers Exploit Unpatched Third-Party Software in FBI Portal Breach
The federal probe centers on a breach discovered in late September, when ShinyHunters compromised the FBI’s unclassified job portal, FBIjobs.gov.
Brett Leatherman, assistant director for cyber at the FBI, stated that an Accenture contractor failed to install a security patch explicitly issued to secure the Oracle PeopleSoft platform. The exposure carries serious counterintelligence risks because those records, if distributed, could help foreign intelligence services identify personnel working on sensitive matters or exploit personal data.
Following the intrusion, the bureau removed the responsible contracting firm. ShinyHunters initially posted a fake seizure banner on the portal on September 22, demanding that the bureau retract a May warning about the hacking group before later walking back threats to publish the stolen database.
Global Law Enforcement Arrests Suspects Tied to ShinyHunters
Dubrovsky’s arrest follows several international enforcement actions against individuals linked to digital extortion. Jordanian authorities detained Saif al-Din Khader, a teenager from Amman known online as “Rey” and “ReyXBF,” who is cooperating with the FBI to identify other members of the hacking syndicate.
Our agents in the field have arrested another suspected co-conspirator of the ShinyHunters group – the group believed to be responsible for the recent FBIjobs.gov incident, which occurred on a platform managed by a third-party vendor.
Kash Patel, FBI Director
Simultaneously, Dutch authorities arrested 24-year-old Pepijn van der Stap in mid-September on suspicion of aiding in data thefts and extortions by ShinyHunters.
FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the bureau’s ongoing enforcement efforts on social media, writing that agents had arrested another suspected co-conspirator of the group as the FBI works to dismantle the network and pursue additional leads.
Extortion Attempts Target Boeing Spin-Off Jeppesen ForeFlight
Federal law enforcement figures and independent reporting indicate that ShinyHunters and its co-conspirators have targeted various major organizations, including Rockstar Games, GrubHub, the European Commission, JCPenney, and Carnival Cruise.