According to a statement from the US Department of Justice, Malaysian police have arrested a Kosovan man for supposedly hacking into a computer database and supplying information on US security officials to the so-called Islamic State group.

Ardit Ferizi, in his 20s, is supposedly the ring leader of a hacking group known as the Kosova Hacker's Security (KHS). He will be extradited to the U.S.

He and his group is alleged to have hacked into the system of a US company to take the personal details of 1,351 US military and government staff. He is being charged with computer hacking and identity theft and is facing a prison term of up to 35 years.

Jeff Hill, channel marketing manager at STEALTHbits, said: "Before today, if security professionals were asked to list types of sensitive data requiring protection, the very fact that someone was a member of the US military would never make the list. It used to be that American servicemen and women needed to be seen in uniform to make them a target. Now terrorists – with the help of their cyber-criminal vendors – can target them from half-way around the world."

Between June and August this year, Ferizi is alleged to have passed the data to IS member Junaid Hussain, who posted the details online with a threat to target the officials.

Malaysian police said: “Early investigation found the suspect communicated with one of the right-hand men of IS terrorist group in Syria to hack a few servers containing information and details of US security personnel and team. The details were then transferred to the operation unit of the IS group for further action."

Malaysia is a hot spot for IS as more than 100 people have been arrested with suspected connections to IS.

Source: SCMagazine