Syrian Hacker Ahmad Umar Agha Sentenced to 42 Months in US Prison
Summary
Ahmad Umar Agha was sentenced to 42 months in prison. Prosecutors said he took part in an Assad-regime-linked hacking operation targeting about 47 organizations, including the Associated Press, U.S. government bodies and businesses.
Key points
- Prosecutors said Agha’s hacking conspiracy ran from 2011 to 2024 and was organized by members of Bashar Assad’s inner circle.
- They attributed intrusions against approximately 47 media organizations, businesses, NGOs and U.S. and allied government bodies to the operation.
- Prosecutors said Agha accessed the Associated Press’s Twitter account in 2013 to post a false claim about explosions at the White House; the post triggered a brief market flash crash.
- In another incident, prosecutors said he compromised the host of the U.S. Marine Corps recruitment website and redirected visitors to a message urging Marines to refuse orders.
- Prosecutors said Agha stole White House staff email credentials in attempts to take control of White House social media accounts, succeeding once.
- The article reports significant victim costs, including losses of about $480,000 for one NGO and roughly $35,000 per day for about six months for a company serving online publishers.
- Coconspirator Firas Dardar remains a fugitive, according to the article.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Sentencing of Ahmad Umar Agha for a hacking conspiracy prosecutors linked to Bashar Assad’s regime.
- Impact
- Agha was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison. Prosecutors said his intrusions affected about 47 entities. A false post from the Associated Press Twitter account triggered a flash crash that briefly erased $136 billion in stock market value. Other reported impacts included redirected visitors to the U.S. Marine Corps recruitment website, attempts to take over White House social media accounts, and financial losses and security costs for victims.
People
Threat Actors
Ahmad Umar AghaSentenced to 42 months in federal prison for a hacking conspiracy. Prosecutors said he carried out intrusions against media entities, businesses, NGOs, and government bodies, including compromising the Associated Press Twitter account and stealing White House staff email credentials.Firas DardarCoconspirator charged with Agha in the hacking case; the article says he remains a fugitive.Peter RomarCharged in a separate conspiracy involving computer intrusion, extortion, money laundering, and violations of the Syrian Sanctions Regulations; he was extradited from Germany and pleaded guilty in 2016.Th3 Pr0Hacker handle used by Ahmad Umar Agha, whom prosecutors said carried out the intrusions in the conspiracy.
Products
Countries
Germanyalso charged in 2015 in a separate conspiracy alongside Peter Romar, a Syrian national then living in Germany, that involved computer intrusion, extortion, money laundering and violations of the Syrian SanctionsSyriaThe operation was organized and led by members of Assad’s circle, including the commander of Syria’s General Intelligence Directorate.United StatesAgha hacked approximately 47 media entities, businesses, nongovernmental organizations and U.S.