Dutch police trace Odido telco cyberattack to suspected local accomplice

Dutch police trace Odido telco cyberattack to suspected local accomplice

Dutch police said Thursday they had uncovered evidence suggesting that Dutch criminals were involved in the cyberattack on telecom provider Odido that exposed the personal data of more than 6 million customers earlier this year.

Authorities said a Dutch-speaking man posing as an Odido IT employee called the company's customer service department before the February attack, helping trick employees into granting access that enabled hackers to steal customer information.

Police are still trying to identify the caller, along with other possible suspects, and urged anyone with information to come forward. They added that a recording of the caller's voice could be released publicly at a later stage if necessary.

Dutch cyber authorities previously said the attackers gained access through a compromised customer contact system used by Odido, allowing them to download customer records. The company said the incident did not disrupt its operations.

Police said they had taken several servers used by the hacker group to distribute the stolen data offline shortly after the attack.

"Investigations like these are often complex and take time, but cybercriminals are vulnerable too and leave traces behind," Dutch police said in a statement.

Authorities believe those responsible discussed the attack online or within their social circles and that members of the cybercriminal community may have information that could help identify the perpetrators. They appealed to anyone with relevant information to contact police.

The investigation is expected to continue for several more months, and police said it was too early to predict its outcome.