These hackers out of all people should know that brute-forcing a wallet password is well near impossible, and so all they do when they find such files is sell them for a few thousand bucks to others who want to break it. So the hackers just have to find encypted wallet.dat files around the web, maybe even fake the balance like the article stated, and get a revenue stream from selling those wallets.
The people buying those wallets and trying to break it open are operating at a loss, they lose not only the money needed to buy access the wallet but also the elecricity expenses from running the rig, not to mention that since access to the wallet is being sold (the seller is under no obligaion to delete his copy), someone else could crack it while he's brute forcing it and poof: there goes the asset they payed for. Triple loss for them.
But like bob123 said this story isn't significant at all. These things happen all the time.
The idea of quantum computer its there since 1981, but now we are a big step forward to make it happen, who knows..
There was also a recent tweet on Twitter asking to Microsoft for a Quantum Computer. Man I cant imagine the price for 1 Quantum Computer. I it going to be a very powerful computer and will be the god of brute forcing wallets if ever hackers gets their hands to it.
Do you guys really think hackers will be allowed legitimate access to quantum computers?