Robert A. Purbeck, also known as “Lifelock,” to Enter Guilty Plea in Atlanta

Hello there, mate! Let’s have a chinwag about a recent interesting tale from the world of healthcare and cybersecurity. This story begins a few years back, in 2018, when a chap who went by the moniker “Lifelock” decided to spill the beans. He reached out to a media outlet with some dirt about two healthcare establishments in the good ol’ US – an eye surgery centre in Michigan and a dental practice in California. Apparently, these two establishments had found themselves on the wrong side of Lifelock’s naughty list for not meeting his ransom demands, cheeky blighter.

This revelation sparked a wildfire of interest in the media outlet, which then dipped its toes in a bit of investigative journalism. They not only confirmed Lifelock’s claims but also found that these doctors were actually privy to the breach as far back as 2016. However, instead of being good sports and disclosing it – as demanded by the health sector regulations, HIPAA – they decided it was best to, as we Brits would say, ‘keep mum.’ Bit of a shady move, don’t you think? So, naturally, a formal complaint was sent flying towards the Health and Human Services (HHS).

Now, during this time, Lifelock was acting quite chuffed, painting himself as some sort of vigilante on his quest to achieve justice. But his tactics were a little dodgy and misguided. From carrying out attacks on medical practices in tandem with another notorious hacker, acting quite the cyber-bully with his lengthy and insulting electronic correspondences, to his relentless effort to get paid, the parallels to another hacker called thedarkoverlord were quite remarkable.

Jump ahead to 2019, the fearless lot at the FBI, who were knee-deep in investigations related to thedarkoverlord’s cybercrimes, secured a search warrant for Lifelock’s real-life hideout in rural Idaho. With the local bobbers’ help, they stormed Lifelock’s home, grabbed quite a few pieces of incriminating gadgetry, and nabbed Lifelock – sorry, Robert A. Purbeck as he soon became known.

Now, fast-forward to 2021, Purbeck was officially collared but not for flexing his hacking prowess alongside thedarkoverlord, as you might suspect. Instead, he was charged over attacks on a few other medical practices and even on a city in Georgia. Talk about making a name for yourself! It’s worth noting, though, that the two establishments he ratted out in 2018 didn’t make the indictment list.

Since his arrest, Purbeck’s been pretty active in the legal realm, making several attempts to suppress evidence and recover his seized equipment. He’s even tried to turn the tables and initiate some civil lawsuits against those involved in his arrest. But the law isn’t too amused with all this, and his trail of unsuccessful legal motions now leads to a change of plea hearing. Isn’t karma a delightful thing, eh?

It does seem like the final act is set now. The court proceedings will soon wrap around to the sentencing negotiations and recommendations, punctuating an already gloomy chapter of Purbeck’s life. He’s been served with numerous counts mostly related to fraudulent activity connected with computers, besides good ol’ fraud by wire. All that’s left now is for him to admit his series of blunders and take responsibility for his actions.

But our mate Purbeck’s legal entanglements are far from over. He still has a civil rights lawsuit ticking away back in Idaho – where, it seems most of the defendants have been let off the hook, leaving just two FBI agents and Ada County in the hot seat. It is clear, from this fascinating tale, that he lesson here folks; if you think dabbling in the world of grey hats and black hats might be your cup of tea, take a moment to consider our man Lifelock’s situation. I’m no expert, but the brew certainly doesn’t look too tempting, does it?

by Parker Bytes