[BreachExchange] Two charged with terrorism over Bulgaria's biggest data breach: lawyer

[Destry Winant]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bulgaria-cybersecurity/two-charged-with-terrorism-over-bulgarias-biggest-data-breach-lawyer-idUSKCN1UJ139

Prosecutors have charged two workers at a cyber security company with
terrorism as part of an investigation into Bulgaria’s biggest-ever
data breach, a lawyer for the defendants said on Wednesday.

Georgi Yankov, a manager at the company Tad Group, has been charged
and released from custody, Georgi Stefanov said.

Earlier charges of crime against information systems against Kristian
Boykov, a 20-year-old cyber security worker at the same company, have
been changed to terrorism, he added.

Both deny wrongdoing, Stefanov said.

Prosecutors were not immediately available for comment.

“We are very surprised with these charges,” Stefanov told Reuters.
“How do you charge someone with terrorism but let them go?” he added.

On Tuesday, police raided the offices of Tad Group, seizing computers
and detaining a manager over last month’s cyber attack on the tax
agency, in which nearly every Bulgarian adult’s personal data and
financial records were compromised.

Boykov was conditionally released from custody last Wednesday, but
banned from leaving the country.

Prosecutors have said they believe Boykov did not act alone and were
looking for others in connection with the attack.

Prosecutors believe Boykov was behind an email sent from someone
purporting to be a Russian hacker who was offering stolen tax agency
files to local media. They do not currently believe the attack came
from abroad.

Prosecutors said decrypted data from one of Boykov’s computers led
them to conclude for the time being that he had the stolen data before
it was published online.

The tax agency is facing a fine of up to 20 million euros($22.5
million) over the breach, which officials have said compromised about
3% of the agency’s database.

According to financial newspaper Capital, the leaked data also
included files from the EU’s anti-fraud network EUROFISC, which allows
national tax administrations to share information on fraudulent
activities and combat organized VAT fraud.

On Wednesday, the tax agency said it would contact 189 Bulgarians
whose full names, personal identification numbers, addresses and ID
card details were among the leaked data.

The other more than four million Bulgarians affected by the breach do
not need to change their ID cards, the agency said.

The agency has informed notaries, banks and credit lenders in the
Balkan country over the data breach and urged them to be extra
vigilant in approving property deals or extending loans.