A Massachusetts hacker has been arrested after being rescued by a Disney cruise ship while attempting to escape authorities, according to the Tech Times. Martin Gottesfeld, 31, is thought to be a member of the hacking group Anonymous and has been charged with conspiracy for his alleged involvement in a cyberattack on Boston Children's Hospital.
Gottesfeld and his wife were picked up by the Disney ship after putting out a distress call from their sailboat not far from Cuba, according to NBC News. The FBI had been looking for them for several weeks after relatives and employers reported them missing but located the fleeing hacker after an FBI contact reported that they had been picked up by a Disney cruise ship. It is unknown where the pair were heading, but an affidavit obtained by NBC News states that they had "some luggage with them, along with three laptop computers."
The attack on the hospital, which occurred in 2014, was prompted by the case of Patient A, a teenager who was taken into permanent custody by the state after it was claimed by hospital authorities that her parents were attempting to submit her to unnecessary medical procedures, according to the Boston Globe. Anonymous proceeded to launch a cyberattack on the hospital, causing $300,000 of damage and impacting normal services for a week, according to NBC News.
Gottesfeld is accused of posting a YouTube video in 2014 on behalf of Anonymous calling for the attack if the Boston Children's Hospital failed to fire the head of its child abuse-prevention unit, according to the Boston Globe. Those running the hospital were warned that "you too shall feel the full unbridled wrath of Anonymous... Test us and you shall fail."
Boston Children's Hospital has thanked authorities for "apprehending the hacker who led the attack and holding him accountable," according to the Boston Globe. If convicted, Gottesfeld could face up to five years in prison and be hit with a fine of approximately $250,000.
