A man from the Netherlands, whose transformation from cybercriminal to reformed security expert garnered global attention, has been taken into custody as part of an inquiry into the hacker collective ShinyHunters, as per Dutch law enforcement and the man’s employer. The Dutch police announced the arrest of a 24-year-old individual linked to the investigation, scheduled to appear in court in Rotterdam the following day.
While the police did not disclose the individual’s identity in their statement, Benjamin Korper, the head of Neo Security, a cybersecurity firm in Amsterdam, revealed that the arrested person was Pepijn van der Stap, the offensive security lead of the company. Korper disclosed that their office was visited by Dutch forensic investigators on September 15, coinciding with the night of Van der Stap’s arrest during a police operation.
Van der Stap’s past convictions in 2023 for data theft and extortion had been widely publicized, along with his subsequent renouncement of cybercrime. Korper expressed astonishment at the arrest, emphasizing that he had thoroughly vetted Van der Stap before hiring him. He commented, “Absolutely everybody I talked to is flabbergasted.”
Despite the arrest, investigations by an external agency hired by Korper revealed no indications that Van der Stap had perpetrated any offenses against Neo Security or its clientele. Korper mentioned that he had not been able to contact Van der Stap post-arrest, and attempts by Reuters to reach Van der Stap or his legal representation were unsuccessful.
The news of Van der Stap’s apprehension was initially reported by independent journalist Brian Krebs. ShinyHunters is a notorious hacking group recognized for large-scale data breaches and extortion, notably for the purported breach of the FBI, where they claimed to have accessed significant information about current and former FBI personnel.
