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SIM Swapper Joel Ortiz Faces 10-Year Prison Term

Posted: February 25, 2019 to Cybersecurity.

Tags: Cryptocurrency, Data Breach, Malware

Joel Ortiz, a twenty-year-old college student from California accepted a plea deal and now faces a ten-year prison term for his SIM Swapping Attacks. Ortiz was arrested last year for stealing more than five million dollars in cryptocurrency. Roughly forty victims were affected. SIM swapping involves attackers posing as their target and soliciting a SIM card swap by claiming theirs was lost. The attackers utilize the victim’s personal information, such as address and social security number, to convince the target’s telecommunications company that they are the true owner. The telecommunication company then ports the target’s phone number over to a SIM card that belongs to the attackers. With the new SIM card, the attackers gain access to the victim’s phone number and can reset passwords, confirm verification codes, and get around two-factor authentication. They also gain access to social media accounts, emails, bank accounts, and cryptocurrency accounts. Ortiz is not the only one facing charges for SIM Swapping. Dawson Bakies, a twenty-year-old Ohio man, is charged with identity theft, grand larceny, and computer tampering and scheme to defraud more than fifty victims in the United States. Joel Ortiz’s official sentencing is on March 14th, 2019.

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Craig Petronella, CEO and Founder of Petronella Technology Group
CEO, Founder & AI Architect, Petronella Technology Group

Craig Petronella founded Petronella Technology Group in 2002 and has spent more than 30 years working at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, compliance, and digital forensics. He holds the CMMC Registered Practitioner credential (RP-1372) issued by the Cyber AB, is an NC Licensed Digital Forensics Examiner (License #604180-DFE), and completed MIT Professional Education programs in AI, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity. Craig also holds CompTIA Security+, CCNA, and Hyperledger certifications.

He is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author of 15+ books on cybersecurity and compliance, host of the Encrypted Ambition podcast (95+ episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon), and a cybersecurity keynote speaker with 200+ engagements at conferences, law firms, and corporate boardrooms. Craig serves as Contributing Editor for Cybersecurity at NC Triangle Attorney at Law Magazine and is a guest lecturer at NCCU School of Law. He has served as a digital forensics expert witness in federal and state court cases involving cybercrime, cryptocurrency fraud, SIM-swap attacks, and data breaches.

Under his leadership, Petronella Technology Group has served 2,500+ clients, maintained a zero-breach record among compliant clients, earned a BBB A+ rating every year since 2003, and been featured as a cybersecurity authority on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and WRAL. The company leverages SOC 2 Type II certified platforms and specializes in AI implementation, managed cybersecurity, CMMC/HIPAA/SOC 2 compliance, and digital forensics for businesses across the United States.

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