Assad-Linked Hacker Sentenced for Attacks on U.S. Targets
On October 29, a federal court in Virginia ordered Ahmad Umar Agha to serve 42 months behind bars over his part in a hacking conspiracy that targeted about 47 Western media organizations, businesses, nonprofits and American and partner-state government agencies. The scheme operated from 2011 to 2024 and was organized by members of the former Syrian government, including an intelligence directorate commander, prosecutors said in court filings.
The attacks aimed to spread government propaganda, gather intelligence and intimidate opponents. Agha hacked the Associated Press’s Twitter account in 2013 and posted a false claim that President Barack Obama had been injured in explosions at the White House. The false post triggered a temporary $136 billion drop in the combined share prices tracked by the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Agha also gained access to the firm that operated the Marine Corps recruitment website and redirected visitors to an image urging Marines to refuse orders and fight alongside the Syrian Army. About 3,500 potential visitors saw the image. He twice tried to take control of the White House’s social media page by stealing staff members’ email credentials; one attempt gave him access to an account, but he did not gain control of the page.
The Justice Department said victims faced costs to repair systems and strengthen security. A global nonprofit incurred $480,000 in losses, including the cost of new monitoring tools and staff retraining. Agha’s co-conspirator, Firas Dardar, remains a fugitive. U.S. officials said the sentence holds state-sponsored hackers accountable and stressed the need to protect financial markets, public institutions and the free press.
Hacking Campaign Against Journalists and U.S. Institutions Ends in Prison Sentence
On October 29, a Virginia federal court ordered Ahmad Umar Agha to serve 42 months behind bars over a hacking conspiracy that targeted about 47 Western media organizations, businesses, nonprofits and American and partner-state government agencies. The campaign, organized by insiders of the former Syrian government, sought to suppress reporting on the regime’s abuses, intimidate its opponents and spread propaganda.
The case shows how authoritarian power can reach beyond its borders to threaten journalists, public institutions and people who challenge official narratives. Agha took over the Associated Press’s Twitter account in 2013 and falsely claimed President Barack Obama had been hurt in explosions at the White House. The post briefly erased $136 billion from the combined share prices tracked by the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
He also redirected visitors to the Marine Corps recruitment website to an image urging Marines to refuse orders and fight alongside the Syrian Army. About 3,500 prospective visitors saw it. Agha tried twice to obtain control of the White House’s social media page, succeeding in accessing one staff member’s email account but not the page itself.
The attacks imposed real costs: one global nonprofit suffered $480,000 in losses, including spending on security tools and staff retraining. The sentence underscores the stakes for a free press and secure public institutions; Dardar, Agha’s co-conspirator, remains a fugitive.
Assad-Linked Hacker Gets 42 Months for Attacks on U.S. Targets
On October 29, a federal court in Virginia ordered Ahmad Umar Agha to serve 42 months behind bars over a hacking operation tied to Bashar al-Assad’s former government. The conspiracy targeted about 47 Western media organizations, businesses, nonprofits and American and partner-state government agencies, making clear that hostile state-backed cyber operations can threaten American security and economic stability.
Agha hacked the Associated Press’s Twitter account in 2013 and falsely claimed President Barack Obama had been injured in White House explosions. The deception caused a temporary $136 billion decline in the aggregate share prices measured by the Dow Jones Industrial Average. He also gained access to the firm that operated the Marine Corps recruitment website and redirected visitors to a message urging Marines to refuse orders and fight alongside the Syrian Army.
About 3,500 prospective visitors saw that message. Agha also tried twice to take control of the White House’s social media page by stealing staff email credentials; he gained access to an account in one instance but failed to obtain control of the page. These were not merely online stunts: the attacks targeted military recruitment, government communications and financial markets.
Victims had to spend money repairing systems and improving security. One global nonprofit suffered $480,000 in losses. The sentence reflects the need to defend the systems Americans rely on and hold state-backed hackers accountable. Agha’s co-conspirator, Firas Dardar, remains a fugitive.
Reported by Townhall, The Daily Caller.
