Cyber Security Firm Claims A Teenager May Be Behind The Target Attack

REUTERS/Eric ThayerA cyber security firm claims that it has identified the author of the malware behind the massive data breach at Target.

IntelCrawler, which is based in Los Angeles, said Friday that a 17-year-old programmer with "roots" in St. Petersburg created the malicious code.

Business Insider is not naming him because we haven't independently verified his association with the attacks.

"The first name of the malware was a lyric 'Kaptoxa,'" which means potato in Russian slang," according to a statement from IntelCrawler.

IntelCrawler also revealed Friday that it is has uncovered at least six ongoing attacks at merchants across the U.S. who are infected with the same malware used in the Target attack.

Andrew Komarov, the firm's chief executive, told Reuters that retailers in California and New York were among those compromised.