Richmond RCMP say a “youth suspect” has been arrested for allegedly participating in a cyberattack on the B.C. Lottery Corporation’s (BCLC) PlayNow iGaming website.
The BCLC first detected the attack last July, when it noticed a suspiciously high volume of traffic on the site.
The Crown corporation’s cybersecurity team later determined it was facing a “credential stuffing” attack, in which a malicious actor try to get into users’ accounts with email and password combinations hacked or stolen from other websites.
That prompted the BCLC to issue a notice to users urging them to change their passwords.
Get daily National news
Up to 250,000 attempts were made to gain access to a “small percentage” of user accounts, Richmond RCMP said.
The Richmond RCMP’s Economic Crime Unit was tasked to probe the attack, and ultimately identified a suspect in Richmond, who they believe was “responsible for some of the compromised accounts, and allegedly purchased stolen login information from a social media platform,” police said in a media release.
Mounties arrested the suspect on Feb. 28. Police have not disclosed their age.
“Based on all situational factors and in consultation with BCLC, Richmond RCMP have elected to proceed with the restorative justice program under the Youth Criminal Justice Act for the offences which were attributed to the youth,” the RCMP said.
Restorative justice refers to a voluntary process that aims to repair the harm caused by an offender rather than simply punishing them, and can involve a variety of forms including apologies, restitution, community service or counselling.
- Convicted killer, 62, escapes from Archambault Institution in Quebec
- Man opens fire outside Michigan church, is shot and killed by security staff
- Montreal mom charged with abandoning daughter ‘needs help,’ to remain detained
- Shot Minnesota lawmaker, still in critical condition, details violent attack
Comments