21-Year-Old Dutch Hacker Receives 4-Year Jail Term for Cybercrimes

The court in Amsterdam has sentenced 21-year-old hacker Van der S. from Zandvoort to four years in prison, with one year of the sentence being conditional. The young man was found guilty of hacking into corporate computer systems, extortion, blackmail, and money laundering, amounting to over one and a half million euros.

A 21-year-old hacker from Zandvoort has been sentenced to four years in prison, with one year of the sentence being conditional. The hacker, Van der S., was found guilty of a range of cybercrimes, including hacking into corporate computer systems, extortion, blackmail, and money laundering. The court in Amsterdam handed down the sentence, which was one year less than the six years of imprisonment that the Public Prosecution Service had demanded. The hope is that this case will serve as a warning to other hackers.

Van der S. was arrested in January following extensive investigations by cybercrime specialists of the police. At the time of his arrest, he was working at a cybersecurity company and volunteering at a cyber security organization. The court found that he had been using his digital skills for criminal activities for nearly three years, causing substantial financial damage to multiple companies, both in the Netherlands and abroad.

The hacker gained unauthorized access to computer systems, demanded ransom for decrypting data, threatened to disclose sensitive information, and trafficked non-public data. Investigators found phishing software and stolen data from millions of people on his computers. As a result, several affected companies have filed for damages, with the court awarding them claims amounting to several hundred thousand euros.

Despite his criminal activities, the court took into account the fact that Van der S. cooperated with the investigation and made confessions regarding his role. Additionally, his very young age and significant psychological issues resulting from a troubled and unsafe childhood were considered in determining the sentence. As a result, the court ordered that the Zandvoort resident must regularly report to probation services and undergo treatment.

Three co-defendants are set to stand trial at a later date.