Police arrest one for cyber attack on telecommunications provider Silknet

Georgia’s Interior Ministry on Thursday said one individual had been arrested on charges of facilitating “unpermitted access to computer systems” of Georgian telecommunications provider Silknet and acquisition of personal data of citizens.

The Ministry said the arrest, made together with the Prosecutor General’s Office and State Security Service, followed the alleged offender’s cyber attack in which the individual obtained digital copies of ID cards of about 5,000 users of the company’s services.

It added the alleged perpetrator subsequently attempted to illegally sell the data online.

The crime is punishable by up to six years of imprisonment.