18-Year-Old Hacker Responsible for Leaking GTA 6 Footage Sentenced Early to 'Indefinite Hospitalization'

Arion Kurtaj, the 18-year-old hacker who was responsible for leaking the GTA 6 trailer earlier than expected, was sentenced to indefinite hospitalization after a London judge found him to be a "high risk to the public."

Talented Hacker

Kurtaj was a member of the international hacker group called Lapsus$. This gang of cybercriminals was responsible for hacking multiple large corporations, such as Nvidia, Uber, and just recently, Rockstar Games.

Rockstar Games, the developer behind the highly anticipated Grand Theft VI, suffered massive losses after the official trailer for the game was leaked hours before its scheduled launch.

This was largely due to Kurtaj utilizing his hacking skills to tap into the company's internal Slack messaging system. He stole not only the source code, but also 90 clips of the upcoming sequel to the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Apparently, the teenage hacker used an Amazon Firestick, a mobile phone, and a TV from his hotel room, all while under police custody.

Remain in Custody

The 18-year-old hacker underwent a psychological evaluation and it was revealed that Kurtaj has acute autism. Despite the doctors declaring Kurtaj unfit for trial due to his condition, the honorable Judge Lees still sentenced the teenager to an indefinite hospitalization, citing that he remained "too high a risk to the public."

Judge Lees went on to say that what Kurtaj did to Rockstar Games and other companies he had previously hacked as a member of Lapsus$, caused real harm to some individuals.

In addition, Kurtaj was said to have been violent while in custody, with numerous reports stating that the 18-year-old hacker caused injury and property damage. Furthermore, Kurtaj seemed to display no signs of remorse about his actions. In fact, he said that wants to go back to committing cybercrime "as soon as possible."

As a result of his actions, Judge Lees sentenced Kurtaj to indefinite hospitalization. This means that he will remain under hospital arrest until he is deemed a person who is no longer a threat to society. The hospital order was given because Kurtaj's mental condition was considered during the sentencing.

Not Alone

Kurtaj's fellow Lapsus$ member was also present in the hearing for their involvement in other hacking incidents in the past. The 17-year-old suspect worked alongside Kurtaj and the other members of the group to hack Nvidia and BT/EE. The group wanted $4 million for the stolen data, but neither of the companies gave in.

The unnamed hacker was sentenced to a Youth Rehabilitation order that will last for 18 months. During this time, the suspect will be under "intense supervision" and is banned from using VPNs.

Companies Need to Step Up

With multiple hacking groups breaching and stealing data from multiple companies, these large organizations must step up and bolster their defenses against cyber attacks.

Not long ago, Insomniac Games was hacked by a ransomware group called Rhysida. This team of cybercriminals leaked 1.67 terabytes worth of data, which includes personal staff information and an early build of the upcoming game Wolverine.

Hopefully, incidents like these will be reduced to a minimum.