Finnish law enforcement has issued a wanted notice for Aleksanteri Kivimäki, a hacker convicted in the high-profile Vastaamo data breach case. This development follows the Finnish Supreme Court's refusal to hear Kivimäki's appeal, affirming a previous ruling by the Court of Appeal that sentenced him to nearly seven years in prison. Kivimäki was found guilty of hacking into the Vastaamo psychotherapy center's database and extorting both the institution and its patients. The breach, which occurred in 2018 but became public in 2020, resulted in the exposure of sensitive information from about 33,000 patients, making it Finland's largest criminal case by number of victims. Following the court's decision, Eastern Uusimaa Police have been instructed to arrest Kivimäki, who is believed to be outside Finland, and ensure his return to Vantaa Prison to complete his sentence.
The Court of Appeal's judgment highlighted the severity of Kivimäki's actions, which included aggravated data breach and attempted extortion, noting the significant harm caused to vulnerable individuals. Although the maximum sentence was considered, his prison term was reduced slightly due to compensation agreements reached with some victims. Throughout the trial, Kivimäki denied his involvement, disputing the evidence presented against him, including digital and cryptocurrency transaction data. Despite these claims, the appeal process ultimately led to the affirmation of his conviction, and Finnish authorities are now focused on locating him to enforce the remainder of his sentence.