Serbian businessman arrested in Croatia for alleged state-linked hacking

A 33-year-old Serbian businessman, identified as Georgije V., has been arrested in Croatia while on holiday on suspicion of hacking multiple state institutions. The suspect is allegedly linked to Serbia's Security Intelligence Agency (BIA).

Investigations by the Croatian Cyber Security Service suggest the individual successfully breached several sensitive systems, including the Croatian Ministry of the Interior, the Tax Administration, the Health Insurance Fund, and the e-Građani (e-Citizens) platform. These breaches were reportedly conducted using a Swedish server hosted by a company based in Belize, as well as via a Serbian IP address.

Croatian Chief State Attorney Ivan Turudić initially drew attention to the case by referencing a national security matter. While the suspect's legal counsel is contesting a court order for one month of pre-trial detention, authorities have seized electronic devices and data that may link the individual to these criminal acts. It remains unclear if the data obtained has compromised Croatia's national security.