Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) has sought cooperation from the Army Transportation Department by handing over to the police a sergeant major (second class) who claimed to have access to the personal data of about 55 million Thai people, which he allegedly offered for sale.
Pol Lt-Gen Worawat Watnakornbancha, CCIB commissioner, told a press conference this afternoon (Friday) that they know the identity of the hacker and obtained a warrant for his arrest on April 2nd.
Because he is army personnel, however, police have to ask the department to have the suspect turned over to the police, in accordance with procedural practice.
He said that the suspect’s responsibilities at the Army Transport Department are not related to computers, but he appears to be an expert in this area, adding that his wife, who is a nurse, cannot be contacted.
The CCIB commissioner said he does not believe that the suspect acted alone, alleging that he initially offered the personal data he obtained for sale on social media, but later changed his mind after he became suspicious that authorities were trying to track him down.
Minister of Digital Economy and Society Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn offered an assurance that the suspect will be arrested, adding that authorities believe the suspect stole the information from the “Mor Prom” portal of the Ministry of Public Health.
Since the leaked information cannot be recalled, he said that agencies which keep personal data must upgrade their systems and tighten controls to prevent future hacking into their databases.
