Hacker Aubrey ‘Kirtaner’ Cottle Arrested for Breaching Texas GOP Website
Aubrey “Kirtaner” Cottle, a Canadian man with ties to the Anonymous hacktivist collective, has been arrested in connection with the 2021 breach of the Republican Party of Texas. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the arrest on Friday, charging Cottle with serious cybercrime charges.
Cottle, 37, is accused of gaining unauthorized access to a third-party hosting company's computer system and defacing the Texas GOP website. The breach occurred in September 2021, shortly after the state implemented a controversial abortion law, sparking widespread outrage and calls for action from hacktivist groups like Anonymous.
The hacking incident was made possible when the website's host and domain registrar, Epik, was breached earlier that same month. Cottle claimed responsibility for the hack on multiple social media platforms, including Discord, where he allegedly took credit for the attack and threatened law enforcement agents with a profane message.
A History of Cyberattacks
Cottle's history of cyberattacks stretches beyond the Texas GOP breach. According to unsealed court documents, he also claimed responsibility for breaches against right-wing social media platforms Parler, Gab, Truth Social, and the crowdfunding service GiveSendGo. The scope of his operations was staggering, with over 20 terabytes of data obtained from his residence following a search warrant executed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Canada.
The seized data included sensitive information stolen from the Texas GOP website, which Cottle allegedly distributed and made available for download online. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for his crimes.
A Look at Cottle's Online Footprint
Cottle's online footprint has been a subject of interest among cybersecurity experts and law enforcement agencies. His use of the handle “Kirtaner” is believed to be a pseudonym, with some speculating that he may have used it to mask his true identity.
Through his online activities, Cottle demonstrated a clear affinity for hacktivist ideology, often using language that was inflammatory and dismissive of law enforcement. His actions have raised questions about the limits of free speech in the digital age and the need for more effective measures to prevent cyberattacks like this one.
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