Lapsus$ is a notorious hacker group that targets victims all around the world.

Through their cyberattack strategies, the group's debuted by breaching Brazilian Health Ministry's computer systems and stole COVID-19 vaccination data. After that, the group breached big tech companies including Microsoft, Nvidia, Ubisoft, Samsung, and more.

Due to the group's high-profiled targets and how they bragged about successful hacks, the hacker group has become one of the most talked about and the most feared hacker cyber-crime gangs in the world.

However, little did the world knew, that the mastermind behind Lapsus$ is a teenager who was still living with his parents.

He was first caught back in 2022.

Below is a brief timeline of Arion's hacking activities:

• August 2021: Arion and another Lapsus$ member hack the servers of BT and EE, stealing data from millions of customers.
• February 2022: Arion and Lapsus$ hack Nvidia, stealing source code for its graphics cards.
• March 2022: Arion and Lapsus$ hack Samsung, stealing data about its upcoming smartphones.
• April 2022: Arion leaks early footage of the unreleased Grand Theft Auto 6 game.

When he was caught, Arion Kurtaj was still a minor. But then, when he reached the age of 18, the British hacker who was a key member of the Lapsus$ hacking group, was formally arrested.

In July 2023, Arion was charged with several counts of hacking, fraud, and blackmail.

But what's important to note here is that, Arion was on bail, when he hacked Rockstar Games, the developer of Grand Theft Auto.

Arion from Oxford leaked GTA 6 at a Travelodge hotel using an Amazon Fire Stick he found. He was held there in the south-central England town of Bicester, after his March 2022 arrest for hacking chip manufacturer Nvidia

On August 23, the court found that the 18-year-old hacker is guilty for his numerous hackings, and because of his involvement with Lapsus$, an international collective of hackers who allegedly operate in the United Kingdom and Brazil.

But Arion was unfit, as deemed by psychiatrists, who said that Arion couldn't stand trial.

This resulted to his absence from the court proceedings as a witness.

Initially, the court's focus was on determining his culpability rather than assessing his criminal intent.

It's worth noting that Arion is autistic and has been diagnosed with ADHD, and because of that, he is being held in a secure mental health facility.

Read: Teen Arrested, With The Accusation Of Being The Mastermind Behind Lapsus$ Hacking Group

Lapsus$ has specifically stated that they do not focus on making demands and asking for ransoms. While the group did ask ransom from victims, victims never disclosed whether they did pay the group.

Regardless, businesses that were hacked by the hacking group have experienced considerable repercussions.

Take-Two Interactive which owns the Grand Theft Auto franchise, for example, had its company's stock price significantly affected. Arion in leaking GTA 6's data also forced the company to change the release dat of the game, and made it to alter its in-game maps.

This is because the leaked information showed gameplay clips of what supposed to be the development version of GTA 6. The footage looked raw in terms of the visuals, but revealed a whole lot of information about the game, which Rockstar Games then went on to claim has been in the works for a long time

As a matter of fact, Arion claimed to have downloaded all of GTA 6’s data, stating that he would release the source code unless Rockstar Games contacted him on the messaging app Telegram.

This led to one of the biggest investigations ever to be launched in the gaming industry.

What's more, the company had to deal with developers who used the leaked information to recreate parts of the game's map, a case which prompted an FBI investigation.

The internet has been around for decades.

Those who grew up during those times, like Generation X and Millennials, are capable of using the technology, in many ways better than most Boomers. Many Generation X and Millennials are fond of the technology, and many are likely tech-savvy.

But those who grew up when the internet is already a household name, like the younger Generation Z, tend to be even more capable and more knowledgeable.

And here, Arion Kurtaj's case has raised concerns about the growing threat of hacking by young people.

It's revealed that all he needed to hack Rockstar Games, was an Amazon Fire Stick that allowed him to connect to cloud computing services.

On top of that, he needed nothing other than a smartphone, a mouse, and a keyboard.

Only these extremely common off-the-shelves devices were needed to breach one of the most well-known game developers in the world.

For this reason, and in this particular case, it's concluded that Arion is already an extremely capable hacker from such a young age, and with his involvement with Lapsus$, has made him even notorious and dangerous.

The case also highlights the challenges of prosecuting hackers who are mentally ill.

Kurtaj's lawyers argued that he should not be tried because he is not capable of understanding the charges against him.

Because of this, Arion's case prompted a review by U.S. cyber authorities.

What's also worth noting, another individual, a 17-year-old also on the autism spectrum, also faced a separate conviction for participating in Lapsus$ operations.

However, due to legal restrictions related to the person's age, the individual's identity remains undisclosed.

Read: The FBI Investigates 'The Grand Theft Auto 6' With Blames On A Prolific Hacker Group