U.S. and French law enforcement authorities have confirmed the arrests of five hackers accused of involvement in a series of major cyberattacks and operating a notorious cybercrime forum.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment of 25-year-old British national Kai West, who allegedly operated under the hacker alias “IntelBroker.” According to U.S. prosecutors, West engaged in a sustained cybercrime campaign spanning several years, causing over $25 million in damages and affecting more than 40 victims, including a telecommunications firm, a municipal healthcare provider, and an internet service provider.
In one particularly notable incident, West reportedly attempted to sell sensitive patient information—including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, health insurance details, and employer information—stolen from the targeted healthcare provider.
Authorities describe West as the leader of a group of hackers known colloquially as “CyberN[——],” a name referring explicitly to a racist slur. While the indictment does not explicitly name the internet forum involved, details in the criminal complaint strongly indicate it to be BreachForums. BreachForums became infamous for hosting trades in illicitly obtained data and cyberattack tools, before being repeatedly targeted and ultimately shuttered by international law enforcement actions in both 2023 and 2024.
West was apprehended earlier this year during a law enforcement operation conducted in France in February and currently awaits extradition to the United States.
Also connected to CyberN[——] are four additional individuals whose identities have not been publicly disclosed by U.S. authorities. However, earlier this week, a statement issued by Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that French police arrested four suspects accused of administering BreachForums and involvement with another cybercriminal entity called “ShinyHunters.”
The French statement, issued by prosecutor Beccuau, declared that these arrests specifically targeted individuals believed to be the central administrators of the forum, raising expectations that the site will now be permanently dismantled.
BreachForums gained prominence as one of the leading underground marketplaces for stolen corporate and personal data, facilitating transactions such as the selling of data taken from companies like 23andMe and countless others. Its original administrator, Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, alias “Pompompurin,” was arrested by U.S. federal agents in 2023, leading to a temporary shutdown of the forum. Although BreachForums later resurfaced, it was closed again by law enforcement in 2024.
West is facing charges including conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, unauthorized access of protected computer systems, and wire fraud. Details regarding the extent of charges against his four alleged accomplices have not yet been disclosed publicly by either U.S. or French authorities.
