Four arrested in South Korea over massive IP camera snooping spree
Summary
South Korean police have detained four suspects connected to one of the largest known IP-camera intrusion campaigns, alleging that the group collectively compromised more than 120,000 internet protocol cameras. Authorities say two of the suspects carried out the vast majority of break‑ins (around 63,000 and 70,000 devices) and sold sexually exploitative footage captured from intimate locations such as gynaecology clinics on a site officials call “Site C.” Two other suspects accounted for about 15,000 and 136 intrusions respectively.
No formal charges had been pressed at the time of reporting, but the suspects are being questioned and three people suspected of buying the illicit videos were also arrested. Police reported attackers relied largely on weak or easily discoverable factory passwords; officers visited 58 affected locations to inform owners and advise on password security.
The article also rounds up two related cybercrime cases: an Australian man jailed for running evil‑twin Wi‑Fi hotspots on flights and at airports using a Wi‑Fi Pineapple device to harvest credentials and steal intimate material, and a UK man jailed for running a dark‑web drug operation from his rural home.
Key Points
- South Korea’s National Police Agency says four people allegedly compromised over 120,000 IP cameras; two suspects responsible for most intrusions.
- At least two suspects are accused of filming victims in intimate locations (including gynaecology clinics) and selling videos on a service dubbed “Site C” for substantial sums in won.
- Police visited 58 affected premises and warned that many intrusions exploited default or weak factory passwords.
- Separately, an Australian was sentenced to seven years and four months for using evil‑twin Wi‑Fi traps to steal credentials and intimate material, including from teenage victims.
- In England, Steven Parker was jailed for six and a half years for operating a dark‑web drug business from his home, selling multiple controlled substances under an online alias.
Why should I read this?
Because this is exactly the sort of mess that creeps up on you: cheap or poorly configured IP cams and public Wi‑Fi can turn into privacy catastrophes. We’ve saved you the bother of wading through the police statements — the takeaway is simple and grim: change factory passwords, lock down public Wi‑Fi behaviour, and don’t assume devices are secure by default.
Source
Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/12/01/cybercrime_arrests_roundup/