Post

Kai West, aka IntelBroker, Indicted for Global Cyberattacks Causing $25M in Damages

British national Kai West, known as IntelBroker, has been charged in the U.S. for a global hacking scheme that resulted in millions of dollars in damages. Learn about the investigation, charges, and the impact of his cybercrimes.

Posted
By Tom Grant
3 min read
Kai West, aka IntelBroker, Indicted for Global Cyberattacks Causing $25M in Damages

TL;DR

British national Kai West, known online as IntelBroker, has been indicted in the U.S. for a global hacking scheme that caused over $25 million in damages. West was arrested in France and is awaiting extradition. His cybercrimes involved stealing and selling sensitive data from numerous organizations, including telecom and healthcare firms.

Main Content

British National Kai West Charged for Global Hacking Scheme

Kai West, a 25-year-old British national, has been charged in the United States for operating under the alias ‘IntelBroker’, orchestrating a global hacking scheme that involved stealing and selling data, resulting in millions of dollars in damages1.

Arrest and Extradition

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) unsealed charges against Kai West, who was arrested in France in February 2025. He is currently being held in pre-trial detention while the U.S. seeks his extradition for cybercrimes2.

According to the DoJ’s press release, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Christopher G. Raia, announced the unsealing of a four-count criminal indictment and complaint charging Kai West with a years-long hacking scheme conducted under the online identity “IntelBroker”3.

Investigation and Evidence

Despite claiming to be from Russia or Eastern Europe, ‘IntelBroker’ (Kai West) made critical operational security (OPSEC) errors. Investigators linked cryptocurrency payments to accounts tied to West and matched IP addresses used by both West and IntelBroker. Additionally, YouTube activity connected the two identities. Authorities believe West was an administrator on BreachForums, and French officials are pursuing other forum administrators as well4.

Cybercrimes and Impact

From 2023 to 2025, Kai West, under the alias “IntelBroker,” led a hacking group known as “CyberN[——]” that breached over 40 organizations, stealing sensitive data and selling it on a forum referred to as “Forum-1” (likely BreachForums). West offered the stolen data for sale at least 41 times and distributed it freely or for credits about 117 times, seeking over $2 million and causing over $25 million in damages. He accepted Monero for payment and was listed as Forum-1’s owner from August 2024 to January 2025. His targets included U.S. telecom and healthcare firms5.

Kai West faces charges including computer intrusion and wire fraud, with potential sentences of up to 20 years. The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the FBI, DOJ, and international partners. The case is being led by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, with prosecution by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan B. Finkel. West is presumed innocent until proven guilty6.

Reputation and Previous Breaches

IntelBroker was considered a reputable threat actor, linked to breaches of prominent organizations such as DC Health Link, Europol, Volvo Cars, AMD, Zscaler, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)7.

Follow for More Updates

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Mastodon for more updates.

For more details, visit the full article: source

Conclusion

The indictment of Kai West highlights the global impact of cybercrimes and the importance of international cooperation in bringing cybercriminals to justice. As cyber threats continue to evolve, it is crucial for organizations to enhance their security measures to protect against such attacks.

References

  1. Security Affairs (2025). “‘IntelBroker’ claims Europol data breach”. Security Affairs. Retrieved 2025-06-26. ↩︎

  2. Data Breaches (2025). “France issues press statement about arrest of ShinyHunters members”. Data Breaches. Retrieved 2025-06-26. ↩︎

  3. U.S. Department of Justice (2025). “Serial hacker ‘IntelBroker’ charged with causing $25 million in damages to victims”. U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved 2025-06-26. ↩︎

  4. U.S. Department of Justice (2025). “Indictment”. U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved 2025-06-26. ↩︎

  5. Security Affairs (2025). “The turmoil following BreachForums shutdown: confusion, risks, and a new beginning”. Security Affairs. Retrieved 2025-06-26. ↩︎

  6. Security Affairs (2025). “Volvo Cars data breach”. Security Affairs. Retrieved 2025-06-26. ↩︎

  7. Security Affairs (2025). “HPE investigating security breach”. Security Affairs. Retrieved 2025-06-26. ↩︎

Cybersecurity & Data Protection, Cyber Attacks
cybersecurity threat-intelligence data breach
This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.