A federal indictment unsealed Tuesday in Alaska charges a Canadian man with committing cyberattacks on a health-related computer owned by the State of Alaska.
According to court documents, 31-year-old Matthew Philbert, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, conspired to and damaged a state computer in April, 2018.
In a parallel investigation, the Canadian authorities also announced cyber charges against Philbert relating to attacks on Canadian computers. He was arrested on Nov. 30 by Ontario Provincial Police, and remains in custody. Investigators believe he was not acting alone, but there are no other indictments.
Philbert is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit fraud and related activity in connection with 10 or more protected computers and, had he been successful, would have modified and impaired medical examination, diagnoses, and treatment or care of more than one person, the grand jury indictment says. His actions are seen as a threat to public health and safety.
The indictment in the District of Alaska is part of an ongoing national effort by the Department of Justice to address cybercrimes that target U.S. citizens from abroad.
Canada’s criminal investigation began after the FBI contacted the Ontario Provincial Police in January, 2020 about ransomware attacks on Alaska coming from Canada.
