Teenage GTA VI hacker sentenced to indefinite imprisonment in hospital

Arion Kurtaj, a member of hacking group Lapsus$ who was responsible for last year’s major Grand Theft Auto VI leak, has been sentenced to indefinite imprisonment in a secure hospital.

The details:

• As reported by BBC News, Kurtaj was convicted as a member of Lapsus$ alongside another 17-year-old male, who carried out numerous successful hacks on companies such as Uber, Nvidia, Samsung, Microsoft, and, most notably, Rockstar Games.

• Kurtaj, under police protection at a Travelodge following the group's Nvidia hack, was said to have breached Rockstar's systems using only an Amazon Fire Stick, the hotel's TV, and a mobile phone. He then posted gameplay footage and other information on GTAForums shortly after stealing the data.

• The hacker was found unfit for trial due to a medical diagnosis of acute autism. Still, as he was reported to have been violent during his time in police custody and eager to continue committing cyber crimes, the jury has sentenced him to stay in a secure hospital facility until he is deemed no longer a threat to others.

• The GTA leak is still one of the biggest in gaming history, with footage and assets from one of the most anticipated games ever being shared more than a year before its official reveal earlier this month. Unfortunately, the recent Insomniac Games leak, which included a decade's worth of development plans, game assets, and employee information, may have taken the title of the biggest gaming hack.

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• Sony has announced that 50 million PS5 consoles have been sold worldwide since its launch in November 2020.