Full coverage· Security· Updated
Syrian Hacker Sentenced to 3.5 Years in US Prison for Assad Regime Cyberattacks
A Syrian hacker, Ahmad Umar Agah, was sentenced to 42 months in prison by a U.S. federal court in Virginia for participating in cyberattacks on behalf of the Bashar al-Assad regime. Agah, a member of the "Syrian Electronic Army," was involved in hacking dozens of Western media outlets and organizations.
2 newsrooms · 3 languages · since
Plus
What happened
- 01Syrian hacker Ahmad Umar Agah received a 42-month prison sentence in the U.S. for cyberattacks supporting the Assad regime.
- 02Agah was part of the "Syrian Electronic Army" hacker group, targeting Western media and institutions.
- 03A 2013 AP Twitter hack falsely reported White House explosions, causing a $136 billion stock market loss.
- 04The "Syrian Electronic Army" previously spread false information via the IDF's press service account.
- 05Agah had been a fugitive for over ten years before his sentencing.
A notable attack in 2013 on the Associated Press Twitter account falsely reported explosions at the White House, causing a significant stock market drop. The group also previously targeted the IDF's press service account.
The coverage
2 newsrooms on this story
Who covered it
- LeftNone
- Centre1
- RightNone
- HarediNone
- ArabNone
- Other1
How it broke
See which of the 2 newsrooms broke it, and who waited