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Most Wanted: Teen Hacker is more than just a news show; it is now a catchphrase in one of Europe's most ruinous cybercrime incidents. The name is now indelibly associated with Julius Aleksanteri Kivimäki, a Finnish national and convicted hacker whose activities revealed the mental health files of tens of thousands of individuals. Known online as “Zeekill,” Kivimäki’s digital footprint spans years of cyberattacks, but it was his role in the Vastaamo psychotherapy center data breach that ultimately led to his conviction in Finland’s largest criminal case by victim count.
The Most Wanted: Teen Hacker story isn't one of teenage rebellion or online pranks. It's a case that produced national trauma, corporate collapse, legislative reform, and criminal transformation. The Vastaamo case demonstrated to us how online offenses are capable of leaving a profound mark on actual lives, as it had over 33,000 victims.
Who is the Most Wanted Teen Hacker, Julius Kivimäki?
Julius Kivimäki, born in 1995, rose to notoriety under the alias "Zeekill." He had already entered a guilty plea to over 50,000 computer offenses in Finland in 2015, even before he was named the Most Wanted: Teen Hacker. As per the teaser released by HBO Max Nordic, he was just 15 when he hacked Elon Musk and shut down PlayStation worldwide.
His targets were varied and included schools, businesses, and government agencies. Although the crimes were big and serious, he was only 17 at the time and received a suspended sentence, as is the practice under the youth rehabilitation policy in Finland.
He was also associated with the hacking crew Lizard Squad, which carried out high-profile hacks on companies such as Sony and Microsoft. His early release suspension of legal penalties raised questions about whether enough had been done to discourage future crimes, a question that would become all too relevant later when he was named the Most Wanted: Teen Hacker in the Vastaamo breach.
The Vastaamo Breach: The crime behind the Most Wanted: Teen Hacker
In the year 2018-'19, Vastaamo, a psychotherapy clinic in Finland was attacked and had its unencrypted, highly sensitive patient records breached, which included therapy details. The breach was not found until October 2020. By then, the harm had already been done. The clinic was asked to make Bitcoin payments to the hacker, who, after being denied, bypassed the clinic and began extorting the patients themselves.
Almost 33,000 individuals had direct ransom demands made against them. When they ignored these, the Most Wanted: Teen Hacker posted their therapy records on the internet. The consequences were quick and painful: suicides were attributed to the emotional trauma of disclosure, families were destroyed, and victims suffered years of psychological harm. The attack has been broadly referred to as one of the most psychologically intrusive crimes in European cyber history.
From suspect to convicted: How the Most Wanted: Teen Hacker was caught
In October 2022, the Finnish police formally identified Julius Kivimäki as the prime suspect in the Vastaamo case. A European Arrest Warrant had been issued, and he was detained in France in February 2023. He was subsequently extradited to Finland. International media then started calling him Europe's Most Wanted: Teen Hacker, as the extent of the alleged crimes involved and the number of victims affected by this crime came to light and created a lot of interest across the globe.
In April 2024, Kivimäki was sentenced and convicted to 6 years and 3 months in prison. He was convicted of aggravated data breach, attempted aggravated extortion, and spreading personal data. His conviction was the end of Finland's largest criminal case in terms of the number of victims, but civil lawsuits and victim compensation claims remain.
The impact of the Most Wanted: Teen Hacker's crimes
The consequences of the Most Wanted: Teen Hacker's actions have been harsh and pervasive. Vastaamo went out of business, and its CEO was fined for failing to report the breach on a timely basis. Finland's government responded with a tougher data protection law directly aimed at healthcare providers and institutions handling sensitive personal data.
The psychological and emotional damage to victims cannot be measured. Some of them changed their names, left the city, or went into hiding. Multiple suicides were confirmed to be directly related to the stress and exposure brought about by the breach of their sensitive data. The incident was categorized by authorities and victim advocacy groups as a form of digital violence, and the hacker as an individual who exploited personal trauma for financial gain.
Legal reforms post Most Wanted: Teen Hacker case
In the wake of this case, Finland presented tougher cybersecurity standards, particularly for mental health and social services. Companies are now under increased pressure to secure data and detect breaches in real-time. The Most Wanted: Teen Hacker case has become the gold standard regarding how cybercrime can no longer be treated as independent from public health, safety, and privacy.
The Finnish justice system was also questioned. As Kivimäki was behind bars, the outcry initially rested on why his 2015 conviction did not deter him from persisting in criminal behavior. Whether the system's coddling of youth offenders allowed him to escalate to broader cybercrimes was questioned.
The case of Julius Kivimäki, the Most Wanted: Teen Hacker, will be remembered not only for its size but for its cost in terms of human lives and the mental trauma it caused. This was not a faceless hacking into a credit card database. It was a frontal attack on individuals' greatest vulnerabilities, carried out with a purpose and without pity. The case is the largest with more than 33,000 victims and a turning point in how the authorities and the public regard cybercrime.
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Kivimäki’s conviction in 2024 may have ended the courtroom chapter, but the Most Wanted: Teen Hacker still leaves behind unanswered questions about rehabilitation, digital responsibility, and the lasting trauma that can emerge when private lives are turned into public threats.
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