FBI Arrests Canadian Ransomware Negotiation Executive in ShinyHunters Probe

The FBI on Thursday arrested an executive at a Canadian cybersecurity firm in connection with its investigation into ShinyHunters, according to multiple sources who spoke to Krebs on Security. ShinyHunters is the hacking group that recently obtained sensitive data on thousands of FBI agents. The New York Times reported that a Canadian man was arrested in Pennsylvania on suspicion of assisting the group. Neither that report nor a statement from FBI Director Kash Patel on Twitter/X named the man.

One source said the person arrested was visiting Pennsylvania for a cyber insurance conference, and that the suspect's company specialises in handling ransomware negotiations with cybercrime groups. Another source said control of the ShinyHunters investigation has been centralised at an FBI field office in Texas. The Cyber Risk Summit was held in Philadelphia from Oct. 5 to Oct. 7, and its biggest sponsor was a Canadian security company called Cypfer.

Krebs on Security noted that Edward Dubrovsky, listed on LinkedIn as an ex-founder of Cypfer, is now associated with another Canadian sponsor, CyberSteward, and had said he planned to attend. A Cypfer spokesperson said Dubrovsky was not a founder, but a managing director who resigned in December 2025. The source material does not confirm who was arrested, and no charges are described in this opening section of the report.