Aleksanteri Kivimäki has been sentenced to 6 years and 11 months in prison for severe data breaches and extortion against a psychotherapeutic center in Finland.
The Helsinki Court of Appeal has sentenced Aleksanteri Kivimäki, 28, to a significant prison term of 6 years and 11 months due to his involvement in a serious data breach at the psychotherapy center Vastaamo. This breach involved hacking into the center's computer systems, downloading patient data, and subsequently releasing the information of around 33,000 individuals online. The court's decision increased Kivimäki's initial sentence from a previous ruling in April 2024, which had given him a term of 6 years and 3 months, reflecting the severity of his actions and their impact on the victims.
Kivimäki's actions resulted in substantial distress for those affected, highlighting the serious consequences of cybercrime. The court emphasized that the breaches not only involved unauthorized access to sensitive information but also the associated extortion attempts against both the psychotherapy center and its clients. Following the appeal court's ruling, Kivimäki's lawyer indicated that this increased sentence would likely result in Kivimäki returning to prison, as he had been released from pre-trial detention in September to await the appeal outcome.
As this ruling is not yet final, there is potential for further legal proceedings, as Kivimäki has the option to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Finland. This case illustrates the ongoing challenges faced by organizations in protecting sensitive data and the criminal implications of breaches on individuals' privacy and well-being.
