A 21-year-old man known as HexDex was arrested on Monday in Vendée, suspected of orchestrating a wave of cyberattacks targeting dozens of French institutions. He admitted the facts to investigators, and his equipment was seized. The arrest could undermine a segment of the French cybercrime network.
An individual born in August 2004 was placed in custody on Monday in Vendée, strongly suspected of being behind recent cyberattacks on numerous French institutions. Investigators from the Brigade de lutte contre la cybercriminalité (BL2C) of the Paris prosecutor's office link him to the pseudonym HexDex, feared in digital piracy circles.
Before investigators, the suspect quickly admitted the facts. He confessed to using this alias on dark web forums like BreachForum and Darkforum, hubs for data trafficking. The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed in a statement that his Darkforum account and computer equipment were seized.
Previously, HexDex had spoken about his motivations, stating: «Pour gagner de l’argent, je n’ai pas de limite» or "To make money, I have no limits". This arrest, reported on Wednesday April 22, could signal the downfall of a segment of the French cybercrime system, according to sources close to the investigation.