German man arrested over hacking of public figures’ data

The German authorities have arrested a man suspected of stealing the personal data of hundreds of lawmakers, journalists and other personalities and of illegally publishing the information on the internet, the New York Times reports, citing the Federal Criminal Office.

Officers searched the 20-year-old suspect’s home on Sunday, two days after the hacking attacks were made public, and confiscated his computers and papers. German news outlets reported that the suspect, who was not identified by the authorities, had confessed to the crime.

Prosecutors in Frankfurt, who are responsible for cybercrime, were expected to give more information at a news conference later Tuesday.

Opposition lawmakers have criticized security officials and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s interior minister for failing to discover the incursion until nearly a month after the information was first published online. The hacker released the information through links and passwords posted on Twitter in the form of an Advent calendar, where a window is opened each day leading up to Christmas, revealing a treat.