In 2020, the Twitter accounts of Barack Obama and Joe Biden were severely hacked. Hackers sent out tweets promoting cryptocurrency scams after the accounts of former and current presidents, as well as celebrities such as Elon Musk and Bill Gates, were compromised.
Well, let’s fast forward to Friday. one of the hackers Joseph James O’Connor sentenced to five years in prison imprisoned for cybercrime, BBC report. O’Connor must confiscate at least $794,000 from victims of crime.
The 24-year-old British citizen, known online as Plugwalk Joe, was extradited from Spain to the United States in April. in May, Mr. O’Connor pleaded guilty According to Tech Crunch, he was charged with four counts of computer hacking, wire fraud and cyberstalking.
Used by O’Connor and fellow hackers social engineering A tactic of attacking Twitter employees to gain access to the network. According to a New York Financial Services Authority study, Called a Twitter employee, claiming to be the IT department.
Another hacker known as Kirk, Graham Ivan Clarke, used that access to hijack and reassign Twitter accounts, Tech Crunch reports. Essentially, the hacker could access any of his Twitter accounts he wanted. (Clark pleaded guilty Hackers stole about $120,000.
Twitter responded at the time by temporarily banning anyone from tweeting or resetting their passwords.
Following the attack, Twitter said: Improving cybersecurity management.
According to Tech Crunch, O’Connor apologized to his victims in court, calling his crime “stupid and pointless.” U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite Jr. told the BBC that O’Connor’s conduct was “blatant and malicious” and “has harassed, threatened and extorted victims and caused them great emotional harm.” I gave you a