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'Alcasec' disguised himself in a hoodie during an interview.
How a 19-year-old hacker breached Spain's national security

How a 19-year-old hacker breached Spain's national security

'Alcasec' hacked into the databases of National Police, health authorities, Tele5 and Burger King. But he has now been sent to prison after breaking probation for another hacking offence he committed on a company in Granada

José R. Villalba

Granada

Thursday, 6 April 2023, 13:49

A Spanish hacker, just 19-years-old, has jeopardised national security after hacking into the country’s National Police and General Council of the Judiciary databases.

The hacker, Alcasec, who lived in Madrid explained in a Club 113 podcast that he had started hacking shortly before he turned 14.

"I started seriously when I was fourteen, but I was already doing things before that,” he said.

The 19-year-old said he spent hours in his flat learning programming "with YouTube manuals" and did it "for ego", to prove to himself that "he was capable of entering this site or this one.”

Alcasec' who has a legion of followers in the world of computer geeks began to hack into the computer systems of companies such as Burger King, where, after modifying passwords, forced a shop in Madrid to give away free hamburgers to customers. He then posted an ad on Instagram to spread the news.

He then disrupted Madrid's bicycle rental system, Bicimad, causing chaos in the city before gaining access to the National Police database.

"I had access to everything for four months, I did it because I had never touched the National Police before,” Alcasec' said.

But he was exposed and in February in 2021 National Police officers went to his house to arrest him, and put him in a juvenile centre.

'Alcasec' also managed to enter the databases of the health system and at the age of 16 exposed the medical record of the secretary general of Vox, Santiago Abascal.

He also hacked into the Tele5 database and uploaded purchases in the name of Paolo Vasile, director of Mediaset.

His latest move was to hack the well-known Punto Neutro of the General Council of the Judiciary, a database where information from the tax agency, Guardia Civil and National Police is cross-referenced.

Last Friday he was arrested again in Madrid and has now been sent to prison after breaking probation for another hacking offence he committed on a company in Granada.

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