The three Syrian hackers who hijacked U.S. websites and social media accounts of U.S. military and media organizations were indicted with multiple conspiracies related to computer hijacking. The computer hijackers were now placed under FBI's list of Cyber's most wanted.
The Syrian hackers are present or former members of the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA). SEA is an organization of hackers that support the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Ahmad Umar Agha, Firas Dardar and Peter Romar were convicted of multiple conspiracies, including "a hoax regarding a terrorist attack" and "attempting to cause mutiny of the U.S. armed forces," Reuters reports. Two of the Syrian hackers, Romar and Dardar, were indicted with other conspiracies, including extortion and wire fraud.
The Syrian hackers targeted internet sites in the U.S. and overseas. It manipulated the computer systems of Executive Office of the President in 2011 and a U.S. Marine Corps recruitment website in 2013, FBI Gov reported. The FBI had found that Agha and Dardar hijacked websites beginning 2011. The Syrian hackers used spear-phishing technique to manipulate people in the U.S. organizations. The Syrian hackers deceived people by posing a legitimate entity to access websites and social media accounts of the U.S. military and media organizations.
The Executive Office of the President and a U.S. Marine Corps recruitment website were targeted by the Syrian hackers, as they were regarded as adversary to the Syrian government, according to Court House News. Two of the Syrian hackers, Dardar also known as "The Shadow," reportedly collaborated with Peter "Pierre" Romar to extort U.S. businesses for revenues. The tandem threatened businesses by hijacking their systems. They get ransoms after scaring businesses that they would delete their data or damage their systems.
"These three members of the Syrian Electronic Army targeted and compromised computer systems in order to provide support to the Assad regime as well as for their own personal monetary gain through extortion," said WFO Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate.
Agha and Darda were now placed under FBI's Cyber's Most Wanted. They were believed to be hiding in Syria. A reward of up to $100,000 will be given to anyone who can give information that could help in their arrest. A warrant of arrest had been issued against the Syrian hackers.
