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SecurityQuiet 10d · day 13

Syrian hacker sentenced to 42 months for Assad regime cyberattacks

Ahmad Umar Agha, who led attacks on Western media and U.S. government targets, evaded capture for over a decade after being charged in 2014.

newest coverage 9d agosummary written 11d ago9 pieces1 comments NewswiresMastodon

What to know

  • Ahmad Umar Agha was sentenced to 42 months in prison Thursday for leading cyberattacks on nearly 50 Western targets directed by Assad's regime, including the 2013 AP Twitter hoax that wiped $136 billion from stock market value.
  • Agha evaded U.S. authorities for over 12 years after being charged in 2014; he was taken into custody last year without disclosed details of his arrest or extradition.
  • The hacking conspiracy, directed by Assad's closest advisers and the head of Syria's intelligence service, targeted media outlets, businesses, NGOs, and U.S. government entities to spread propaganda and silence dissent until Assad's regime fell in January 2024.
  • Co-conspirator Firas Dardar remains a fugitive; a third defendant, Peter Romar, pleaded guilty in 2016.

“In one notable 2013 incident, the group said it hijacked the Associated Press's Twitter account and sent out a tweet that falsely reported an explosion at the White House had injured President Barack Obama.”

The Record, Reporting · The Record ↗

Ahmad Umar Agha Syrian hacker, Syrian Electronic Army memberFiras Dardar Alleged co-conspiratorSyrian Electronic Army Hacking groupBashar al-AssadBashar al-Assad Former Syrian PresidentJohn EisenbergJohn Eisenberg Assistant Attorney General for National Security

Syrian hacker sentenced to 42 months for Assad regime cyberattacks
SecurityWeek

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 2 pieces in 3h at Oct 30, 8 AM; 9 pieces over 13 days (3 articles · 6 posts) Oct 29, 5 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Oct 29, 8 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Oct 29, 11 PM — quietOct 30, 2 AM — quietOct 30, 5 AM — quietOct 30, 8 AM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Oct 30, 11 AM — quietOct 30, 2 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Oct 30, 5 PM — quietOct 30, 8 PM — quietOct 30, 11 PM — quietOct 31, 2 AM — quietOct 31, 5 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Oct 31, 8 AM — quietOct 31, 11 AM — quietOct 31, 2 PM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Mastodon 2Oct 31, 5 PM — quietOct 31, 8 PM — quietOct 31, 11 PM — quietNov 1, 1 AM — quietNov 1, 4 AM — quietNov 1, 7 AM — quietNov 1, 10 AM — quietNov 1, 1 PM — quietNov 1, 4 PM — quietNov 1, 7 PM — quietNov 1, 10 PM — quietNov 2, 1 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Nov 2, 4 AM — quietNov 2, 7 AM — quietNov 2, 10 AM — quietNov 2, 1 PM — quietNov 2, 4 PM — quietNov 2, 7 PM — quietNov 2, 10 PM — quietNov 3, 1 AM — quietNov 3, 4 AM — quietNov 3, 7 AM — quietNov 3, 10 AM — quietNov 3, 1 PM — quietNov 3, 4 PM — quietNov 3, 7 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 1 AM — quietNov 4, 4 AM — quietNov 4, 7 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 1 PM — quietNov 4, 4 PM — quietNov 4, 7 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 1 AM — quietNov 5, 4 AM — quietNov 5, 7 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — quietNov 5, 1 PM — quietNov 5, 4 PM — quietNov 5, 7 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 1 AM — quietNov 6, 4 AM — quietNov 6, 7 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 1 PM — quietNov 6, 4 PM — quietNov 6, 7 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietNov 7, 1 AM — quietNov 7, 4 AM — quietNov 7, 7 AM — quietNov 7, 10 AM — quietNov 7, 1 PM — quietNov 7, 4 PM — quietNov 7, 7 PM — quietNov 7, 10 PM — quietNov 8, 1 AM — quietNov 8, 4 AM — quietNov 8, 7 AM — quietNov 8, 10 AM — quietNov 8, 1 PM — quietNov 8, 4 PM — quietNov 8, 7 PM — quietNov 8, 10 PM — quietNov 9, 1 AM — quietNov 9, 4 AM — quietNov 9, 7 AM — quietNov 9, 10 AM — quietNov 9, 1 PM — quietNov 9, 4 PM — quietNov 9, 7 PM — quietNov 9, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 7 AM — quietToday, 10 AM — quietToday, 1 PM — quietToday, 4 PM — quietToday, 7 PM — quiet 1
Oct 30Oct 31Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6Nov 7Nov 8Nov 9yesterdaynow · 8:40 PM ET
  1. 1

    Agha sentenced to 42 months in prison

    A federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia sentences Ahmad Umar Agha to 42 months for his role in the hacking conspiracy. Agha compromised approximately 47 Western media outlets, businesses, NGOs, and government entities.

    “Agha deployed his hacking skills in the service of Assad's regime to silence reporting on the regime's atrocities, intimidate its opponents, and incite U.S. servicemembers to refuse their orders.”
    — John Eisenberg

    1. 1 outlet first by Arab News, 13d ago · read ↗

    • chetwisniewski@securitycafe.ca

      I find this kind of reporting really disingenuous. They had to spend money to properly train and secure their employees due to the hack? No. They didn't do the basics and added it to the RAP sheet for the criminal. The SEA hacker deserves what he got, but your spend was not their fault, rather you just didn't do the basics that could have…

      chetwisniewski@securitycafe.caMastodon11d agoview on Mastodon ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 5 posts in this stretch
    • europesays@pubeurope.com

      U.S. Sentences Syrian Hacker Ahmed Omar Agha To 42 Months For Assad-Linked Cyberattacks: 5 outlets compared Agha sentenced in Virginia A federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia sentenced Syrian citizen Ahmed Omar… # EuropeSays # Headlines # News # Europe # Europa # EU # Syria # mediaanalysis # MediaBias # newscompared # newscomparison #…

      europesays@pubeurope.comMastodon12d agoview on Mastodon ↗

    • I had totally missed this happening, one of my big group fascinations is the SEA. I think a lot of the hybrid state encouraged or enabled hacktivism we see now is basically drawn from how Assad nurtured the SEA as a sort of cyber paramilitary force. https:// therecord.media/syrian-electro nic-army-hacker-sentenced-three-years

      realhackhistory@chaos.socialMastodon9d agoview on Mastodon ↗
    all of them →
  2. background

    Agha appears in federal courtroom after over a decade evading authorities — Agha makes his first appearance in federal court, having been taken into U.S. custody sometime prior. The DOJ does not disclose details of his arrest.

  3. background

    Federal grand jury indicts Agha and Dardar — A grand jury formally indicts both Agha and Dardar on hacking conspiracy charges.

  4. background

    Peter Romar, third Syrian defendant, pleads guilty — A third Syrian charged in the case, Peter Romar, is extradited to the United States and pleads guilty to hacking charges.

  5. background

    Case unsealed; Agha and Dardar added to FBI Cyber's Most Wanted list — The Justice Department unseals the case and places both Agha and co-conspirator Firas Dardar on the FBI's Cyber's Most Wanted list with a $100,000 reward for information leading to their arrest.

  6. background

    Ahmad Umar Agha charged by criminal complaint — The U.S. Justice Department files criminal charges against Agha for his role in the hacking conspiracy.

  7. background

    Syrian Electronic Army hijacks Associated Press Twitter account — The group gains control of the AP's Twitter account and posts a false report claiming President Obama was injured in blasts at the White House. The hoax causes a brief $136 billion dip in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

  8. background

    Syrian Electronic Army begins coordinated hacking campaign — The hacking group, directed by figures close to Assad including the head of Syria's General Intelligence Directorate, launches cyberattacks on Western targets to support the regime.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets Syrian Electronic Army hacker gets prison time for attacks on Western targets

    first by The Record, 12d ago · also SecurityWeek

    1 more headline

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