Breach, Data Security

Reports: Geneva authorities make arrest in Panama Papers breach case

Investigators may have made some in-roads in their probe of the Mossack Fonseca data breach. According to multiple reports, authorities in Geneva, Switzerland have arrested a former IT worker at the law firm in connection to the Panama Papers scandal that exposed global public officials' alleged misuse of offshore tax havens.

According to The Guardian, a spokeswoman for the Geneva city prosecutor confirmed the arrest of the unnamed individual. A tweet from German journalist Bastian Obermayer, who helped break the original story, said the arrested individual does not appear to be the same whistleblower who leaked the data.

In an article by Swiss newspaper Le Temps, Mossack Fonseca lawyer Thierry Ulmann said, "What we know is that data was taken via his [the suspect's] computer in Geneva… and that this IT worker had full access privileges.” Meanwhile, the IT worker's two lawyers, Thomas Barth and Roman Jordan, told Le Temps that their client denied all of the accusations against him.

Bradley Barth

As director of multimedia content strategy at CyberRisk Alliance, Bradley Barth develops content for online conferences, webcasts, podcasts video/multimedia projects — often serving as moderator or host. For nearly six years, he wrote and reported for SC Media as deputy editor and, before that, senior reporter. He was previously a program executive with the tech-focused PR firm Voxus. Past journalistic experience includes stints as business editor at Executive Technology, a staff writer at New York Sportscene and a freelance journalist covering travel and entertainment. In his spare time, Bradley also writes screenplays.

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