March 2025 — In the underground economy of stolen data, few names carry as much weight—or as much legal baggage—as BreachForums.
Just months after the FBI and international partners dismantled the original platform for the second time, security researchers are tracking yet another resurrection of the notorious hacking forum. This whack-a-mole cycle has turned BreachForums into a case study for law enforcement's struggle to permanently erase cybercrime infrastructure from the dark web. BreachForums
Cybersecurity professionals face a moral and legal quandary. Visiting BreachForums to look at leaked data is technically accessing stolen property. In the US, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) arguably makes unauthorized access a crime. BreachForums: The Rise, Fall, and Relentless Return of
Pro-Tip: If you are a security professional, use a dedicated virtual machine, a VPN, and ensure you download nothing without legal counsel approval. Better yet, hire a threat intel vendor to do the dirty work for you. Use HIBP (HaveIBeenPwned) , Dehashed , or Constella
The golden age of BreachForums was short-lived. On March 21, 2023, the FBI and international partners seized the domain. Visitors to the site were greeted with a seizure banner and a message stating that the site had been taken down as part of an international law enforcement operation.
Shortly after the seizure, the forum's owner, Conor Brian Fitzpatrick (pompompurin), was arrested in New York. He was charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud and possession of child pornography (stemming from content posted by users). In early 2024, Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty and faced significant prison time, marking a major victory for federal prosecutors.