A screenshot from a Spanish national police video posted Feb. 5, 2025, shows authorities checking a computer seized from a man they described as a "dangerous hacker." He is accused of carrying out more than 40 cyberattacks against the U.S. military, NATO and other organizations. (X/Spanish National Police)
Spanish police say they have arrested a hacker responsible for more than 40 cyberattacks against the U.S. military, NATO and other organizations.
The suspect admitted on dark web forums to hacking into military databases, Spain’s national police said in a statement Wednesday. He was arrested Tuesday in the coastal city of Calp.
Police did not release the suspect’s identity or his age, but multiple Spanish news outlets identified him as an 18-year-old.
It wasn’t immediately clear what risks, if any, the illegal activity posed to the U.S. military or other NATO allies.
Investigators are analyzing computer equipment seized from his home to determine the extent of his criminal involvement, police said.
Both the police and Spain’s Civil Guard, which assisted in the operation, posted a video to X on Wednesday showing at least six officers entering a house. The footage included several hard drives and USB devices, as well as a man being escorted into a police vehicle.
The suspect has more than 50 cryptocurrency accounts, suggesting extensive knowledge of blockchain technology, according to the police statement. He also used various pseudonyms online to avoid detection, the statement said.
A screenshot from a Spanish national police video posted Feb. 5, 2025, shows officers leading a man they described as a "dangerous hacker," to a police car following his arrest. Spanish authorities say he was responsible for more than 40 cyberattacks against the U.S. military, NATO and other organizations. (X/Spanish National Police)
One of the aliases was “Natohub,” Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia reported Wednesday.
News outlet El Español described the suspect as “a young computer expert who had just turned 18,” adding that he had engaged in the hacking for the challenge rather than financial gain.
However, the teen reportedly sold some of the sensitive data he stole, which El Español said directly affected Spain’s national security, citing National Police and Civil Guard agents.
Spain’s defense and education ministries, the Civil Guard and several Spanish universities were also among the other institutions the suspect is accused of infiltrating.
Spanish authorities launched an investigation in February 2024 after a business association in Madrid reported a data breach.
A December cyberattack against the Civil Guard accelerated the investigation and led to the arrest, the police statement said.
Homeland Security Investigations, the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, assisted with the case.
NATO did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday. U.S. Army Europe and Africa declined to offer further details, saying the case is ongoing.
A screenshot from a Spanish national police video posted Feb. 5, 2025, shows computer equipment recovered after they arrested a man they described as a "dangerous hacker." Police say he was responsible for more than 40 cyberattacks against the U.S. military, NATO and other organizations. (X/Spanish National Police)
