Teen hacker sentenced to life in a secure hospital over Rockstar Games, Uber, Nvidia hacks

Arion Kurtaj, an 18-year-old hacker pivotal in the Grand Theft Auto VI footage leak, has received a life sentence within a hospital prison. In a ruling on Thursday, a British judge deemed Kurtaj a high risk to the public due to his continued desire to engage in cybercrimes.

In August, a London jury established Kurtaj's involvement in cyberattacks against entities such as GTA VI developer Rockstar Games, Uber, and Nvidia. Despite being diagnosed with autism and deemed unfit for trial, the jury's focus was on determining whether he committed the acts, not his criminal intent.

During the recent court hearing, reports surfaced of Kurtaj's violent behaviour while in custody, involving numerous instances of injury or property damage, as detailed by the BBC. A mental health evaluation affirmed his persistent intent to pursue cybercrimes imminently. His confinement within the hospital prison is indefinite, contingent on a reassessment by medical professionals regarding public risk.

While on bail for hacking Nvidia and British telecom provider BT/EE, Kurtaj leaked 90 videos of GTA VI gameplay in September. Even under police protection at a hotel, he orchestrated an attack on Rockstar Games using an Amazon Fire Stick and a newly acquired smartphone, keyboard, and mouse, according to another BBC report. Kurtaj was subsequently arrested following the incident.

Another individual, a 17-year-old associated with Lapsus$, received an 18-month community sentence termed a Youth Rehabilitation Order, accompanied by a ban from utilising virtual private networks.

The official GTA VI trailer debuted earlier this month, amassing millions of views despite the premature release on X (formerly Twitter) and the trove of leaked videos by Kurtaj. Kurtaj's defence highlighted the trailer's success during the sentencing, but the judge emphasised the tangible impact on real companies and individuals affected by Lapsus$. Rockstar Games reported spending $5 million on recovery efforts following the attack.

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