In 2014, the unidentified hacktivist known as Phineas Fisher breached Gamma International, the company associated with FinFisher spyware, and released roughly 40 gigabytes containing client and price lists, source code, malware documentation, and training materials. In 2015, Fisher claimed responsibility for compromising Hacking Team through a vulnerability in a SonicWall SSL-VPN device; the resulting disclosure exposed company emails and prompted SonicWall to patch the flaw. WikiLeaks later republished material from both breaches, making the surveillance industry’s customers and internal operations widely searchable.
On May 15, 2016, Fisher breached the Catalan police union Sindicat de Mossos d’Esquadra and leaked personal information—including names, addresses, bank details, and telephone numbers—for more than 5,000 officers, approximately one-quarter of the force. Catalonia’s interior minister Jordi Jané said the leak did not compromise investigations but did compromise officers’ privacy. Spanish police raided locations and arrested at least four suspects in January 2017, although Fisher’s identity remains unknown and attribution has not been conclusively established in the supplied record. Later disclosures included the 2019 Cayman Island National Bank “Sherwood files” and the 2020 Chilean military “MilicoLeaks,” illustrating how politically motivated intrusions turned private surveillance, security, and financial records into public archives.
