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Researchers say hacker used Canadian Internet provider to steal $83K Bitcoins

FILE - In this April 7, 2014 file photo, a man arrives for the Inside Bitcoins conference and trade show in New York.
FILE - In this April 7, 2014 file photo, a man arrives for the Inside Bitcoins conference and trade show in New York. AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File

Researchers with a cyber security firm say they have uncovered that a hacker used access to a Canadian Internet provider to hijack large foreign networks, stealing more than US$83,000 in virtual currency.

The U.S.-based Dell SecureWorks says the hacker operated between February and May this year.

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It’s alleged the hacker targeted hosting firms with servers that generate Bitcoin – including Amazon in the U.S. and OVH in France – and redirected some activity.

READ MORE: An investigation into Bitcoin’s remarkable rise

SecureWorks says the hacker likely worked alone and was in Canada, and could be a former or then-current employee of the ISP.

The firm did not name the ISP, but says the “malicious activity” stopped after it handed the ISP its findings.

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SecureWorks says it did not go to the Canadian authorities, and it is not known if the ISP has identified the hacker.

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