Alleged Microsoft, Okta hackers arrested in UK

British authorities arrested seven individuals on Thursday suspected of hacking major tech companies including Okta and Microsoft, according to Reuters.

“Seven people between the ages of 16 and 21 have been arrested in connection with this investigation and have all been released under investigation,” Detective Inspector Michael O’Sullivan of the City of London Police said in a statement to Reuters. 

The arrests follow online breaches this week that targeted San Francisco-based software company Okta and Microsoft. 

On Tuesday, Okta said it was investigating a potential digital breach after hackers posted screenshots of internal information. An Okta official said the breach could be related to an incident in January that was contained. 

The screenshots were posted on Monday by a hacking group known as Lapsus$ on their Telegram channel. The hackers said they were targeting “ONLY on Okta customers.” 

Okta’s shares went down about 11 percent following the breach, Reuters reported. The software company provides authenticator services to over 15,000 customers including companies like Fedex and Moody’s.

Microsoft was also a target; on Wednesday, it confirmed Lapsus$ breached its security system. The tech company said the hacking group breached one account, resulting “in limited access.” 

According to Microsoft, Lapsus$, a South American hacking group that has been linked to data breaches at Samsung and Ubisoft, targets cryptocurrency accounts to steal wallets and funds.