France: Intelligence agency officer caught selling sensitive police data

A massive case of misuse of confidential data from security authority surveillance systems has been uncovered in France. After the French customs tracked down an illegal marketplace called “Black Hand” in June, the investigators also found data that was sold by an anonymous user called “Haurus”. Haurus sold for example confidential documents and information from national police databases.

Meanwhile the investigators gleaned the identity of the hacker with the help of specific codes attached to the data. According to French newspaper “Le Parisien”, Haurus is an officer at the “Direction générale de la sécurité intérieure” (DGSI), a French intelligence agency. The DGSI is normally in charge of counter-terrorism, countering cyber-crime and surveillance of potentially threatening groups and organisations.

According to the reports, the agent offered services in exchange for bitcoin. For example, he advertised to track the location of buyer’s gang rivals or spouses based on the telephone number or he offered to tell them, if the French police tracked them. The investigators believe that he used the resources, which the French police uses to track criminals.

Haurus was arrested at the end of September and faces up to seven years in prison and a fine up to 100.000€.