The story of Phineas Fisher, the hacktivist who targeted spyware makers and was never caught
8 reported3 unconfirmed
According to a TechCrunch report, a decade after their most famous hack, the hacker known as Phineas Fisher remains the most prolific and public hacker never to have been caught. Phineas first emerged in August 2014 by hacking Gamma Group, the makers of FinFisher spyware, and later hacked Hacking Team, an Italian spyware startup, leaking over 400 gigabytes of data. The Hacking Team hack eventually led to the startup’s demise years later, with CEO David Vincenzetti forced to sell his company for one euro. Phineas also hacked the union of the Mossos d’Esquadra police force in Catalonia, the ruling party of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Cayman National Bank’s branch in the Isle of Man. Their last public appearance was in 2016, and their Twitter and Reddit accounts have since been deleted. The Italian authorities’ investigation into the Hacking Team hack ended without finding evidence pointing to Phineas’ real identity, and FinFisher never contacted law enforcement, according to a former company employee. The TechCrunch reporter states that Phineas is alive and has been in contact within the last couple of years.
What’s reported
Phineas Fisher first emerged in August 2014 by hacking Gamma Group, makers of FinFisher spyware.
In 2015, Phineas hacked Hacking Team, leaking more than 400 gigabytes of data including source code, emails, contracts, and customer lists.
The Hacking Team hack led to CEO David Vincenzetti selling his company for one euro years later.
Phineas also hacked the Mossos d’Esquadra police union, the ruling party of Turkey’s President Erdoğan, and Cayman National Bank’s Isle of Man branch.
Phineas’ last public appearance was in 2016; their Twitter and Reddit accounts have been deleted.
Italian authorities’ investigation into the Hacking Team hack ended without finding evidence of Phineas’ real identity.
FinFisher never contacted law enforcement, according to a former company employee.
The TechCrunch reporter states Phineas is alive and has been in contact within the last couple of years.
Open questions
Who Phineas Fisher is in real life remains unknown.
Whether the Phineas persona was used by different individuals between 2014 and 2019 is unclear, with no evidence of that.
Phineas’ origins and first language are uncertain; they have said their first language is neither English nor Spanish and have acknowledged living in a Spanish-speaking country.
Key figures
Phineas Fisher (hacktivist, real identity unknown)
David Vincenzetti (former CEO of Hacking Team)
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (President of Turkey)
Freddy Martinez (activist who interviewed Phineas)
Sources: TechCrunch
