Canadian hacker pleads guilty in Snowflake data breach case, stealing data and extorting people for millions
Canadian hacker Connor Moucka has pleaded guilty to charges related to a massive 2024 data breach of Snowflake cloud storage customers, including AT&T and Ticketmaster. The breach involved stealing sensitive data and extorting millions of dollars from victims.
Why it matters
The case highlights the vulnerability of centralized cloud storage providers and the ongoing threat of large-scale cyber-extortion against major corporations.
Connor Moucka, 26, of Kitchener, Ont., pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington to four charges: computer fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and a related conspiracy.
He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 27. The aggravated identity theft count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison, while the remaining counts carry a maximum penalty of 30 years.
"Today's guilty plea serves as a reminder to all cybercriminals, regardless of where they live, that they cannot hide behind a wall of anonymity. You will be found and brought to justice," assistant attorney general A. Tysen Duva of the U.S. Department of Justice's Criminal Division said in a release Wednesday.
In 2024, Moucka and his co-conspirators accessed the cloud storage of Snowflake Inc. customers — including telecommunications company AT&T , Live Nation's Ticketmaster and Santander Bank.
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