{
  "id": 224890,
  "title": "Snowflake extortionist admits 165-victim cloud crime spree – and squeezing one target twice",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/snowflake-extortionist-admits-165-victim-cloud-crime-spree-and-224890",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-06T14:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register",
    "slug": "the-register",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/storage/2026/08/06/snowflake-extortionist-admits-165-victim-cloud-crime-spree-and-squeezing-one-target-twice/5284059"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Connor Riley Moucka, a 26-year-old Canadian, has pleaded guilty in the US to multiple charges related to orchestrating a vast cloud data theft campaign linked to the Snowflake software provider. Moucka and his associates admitted to breaking into the cloud environments of at least 165 organizations between February and October 2024, exposing sensitive customer records and demanding ransom payments. They used stolen login credentials to gain access to the systems, targeting valuable data such as banking records, payroll information, and personal identification numbers. The group returned to at least one victim twice, extorting additional payments after the first ransom demand was met. Moucka and his co-conspirators advertised the stolen data on various cybercrime forums and social media platforms, demanding ransom amounts totaling around $6 million. They ultimately received approximately $2.5 million in Bitcoin. Moucka admitted to pocketing at least $495,000 from the scheme. The victims suffered over $9.5 million in direct losses, affecting at least 100 million individuals whose personal information was compromised. Moucka was arrested in Canada in October 2024 and extradited to the US in July. He is set to be sentenced on October 27, facing a mandatory two-year prison term for aggravated identity theft.",
  "summary": "Connor Moucka pleads guilty over sprawling 2024 campaign that looted billions of records",
  "key_points": [
    "Connor Riley Moucka, 26, pleads guilty to orchestrating cloud data theft campaign",
    "Moucka and associates accessed cloud environments of 165 organizations between Feb-Oct 2024",
    "Group extorted $6 million from victims, received $2.5 million in Bitcoin"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Register Science",
        "title": "Snowflake extortionist admits 165-victim cloud crime spree – and squeezing one target twice",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/snowflake-extortionist-admits-165-victim-cloud-crime-spree-and",
        "published": "2026-08-06T14:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}