Computer security expert charged

From the Toronto Star:

Yellow police tape cordoned off a manicured garden outside a Forest Hill home Wednesday morning where a man had been arrested on G20-related charges.

Byron Sonne, 37, was taken into custody after police converged Tuesday afternoon on the house on Elderwood Dr., in the Bathurst St. and Eglinton Ave. area.

Police have set up a command post in the below-ground garage at the two-storey stucco house in the heart of Forest Hill.

More officers filled the backyard behind a solarium and enclosed by a hedge. Pink, orange and yellow flowers flanked a Japanese maple and a big, old maple tree filled in the well-tended front garden.

BMWs, Jaguars and other luxury cars sat in the driveways of neighbouring homes.

“It’s strange. These are very affluent people,” said a man who did not want to give his name, but said he also lived on Elderwood. “This is one of the richest areas.”

The man said he had never seen or spoke with anyone at the house.

No injuries were reported in the arrest, and police said they would not be releasing any further details.

Halvdan Solutions, a computer security company, is registered with Byron Sonne as the sole owner at the same address on Elderwood Dr., which is also the home address of visual artist Kristen Peterson.

Telephone numbers for Halvdan and Peterson are identical, with the same voice message from “Kris and Byron.”

Sonne is a “very well respected” specialist in detecting computer vulnerabilities who belongs to the Toronto Area Security Klatch, fellow member Robert Beggs told the Star.

“He’s an independent researcher,” said Beggs, describing the technical, rarified world of vulnerability specialists as part computer geek, part performance artist. “They are the makers. They experiment with different things. They find the underlying metaholes across the Internet,” he said. “They’re the prima donnas of the computer security world.”

Sonne, he said, has “great technical expertise, is well-known and has a very good reputation.”

Sonne is also a licensed private investigator, said Beggs.

According to Sonne’s LinkedIn web profile, his goal is, “To be continually exposed to interesting things and cool people. Sounds trite, but it’s absolutely true.” His experience summary: “I make order out of chaos.”

Before starting Halvdan, Sonne was a senior systems specialist at Webkinz. His jobs before that, with nCircle Network Security and FSC Internet Corp. put him in two top companies in the field, Beggs said.

Sonne was charged with intimidation of a justice system participant by threat, intimidation of justice system participant by watch and beset, mischief interfere with property, attempt mischief, possession of explosive for unlawful purpose and weapons dangerous.

He was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.