An army sergeant has been identified for allegedly hacking the personal data of 55 million Thais and putting the information up for sale under the hacker name "9Near", according to authorities.
The sergeant, whose name has been withheld, had acquired the data from the Mor Prom application, and police were questioning his wife, who worked as a nurse and had access to the Mor Prom system, national police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas said on Friday.
The Public Health Ministry launched the Mor Prom app to allow people to access vaccination services. The app was later developed into a health service portal.
Authorities will have to work out measures to ensure the security of people's personal data, Pol Gen Damrongsak said.
The national police chief also said he had not received any information to confirm the speculation that the sergeant had close ties with a well-known politician.
According to sources, the sergeant is a native of Nonthaburi province, and his wife worked at a hospital in Chaeng Watthana area.
The hacker recently created a post on BreachForums, a platform for users to sell and buy leaked personal data from state agencies and private companies, claiming that he had obtained the personal data of 55 million Thais, including names, surnames, addresses, birthdates, ID card numbers and telephone numbers.
In the 9near.org website, which is now blocked, the hacker threatened to release all the information to the public unless the breached state agency contacted him within a deadline.
At the same time, some newscasters also received short text messages showing their addresses, ID card numbers and phone numbers.
Later on Friday, Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn confirmed that the hacker was a sergeant major and his army unit would be asked to turn him to police for interrogation.
Pol Lt Gen Worawat Watnakhonbancha, commissioner of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), said police received a warrant for the arrest of the suspect who would be charged with putting false information into a computer system.
Although the suspect's army unit does not handle technology-related tasks, he has sufficient knowledge about computers, Pol Lt Gen Worawat said.
Police had yet to verify the suspect's claim that he had the personal data of 55 million Thais, the CCIB chief added.
Maj Gen Sirichan Ngathong, a deputy army spokesperson, later said that the Army Transportation Department was actively searching for the suspect.
She also confirmed statements made by the police and DES Minister Chaiwut regarding the matter, and clarified that it was a personal issue.
