The Justice Department has filed charges against members of the so-called Syrian Electronic Army who were behind a series of cyber intrusions targeting U.S. companies and government systems, according to court documents.
Beginning in 2011 and through 2014, the attackers managed to deface websites, take over social media accounts or penetrate computer systems belonging to companies to protest against those believed opposed to Syria’s Assad regime. Those computer systems targeted including CNN, The Washington Post, Harvard University, NASA, Microsoft and the White House.
In the case of the White House, the intrusion wasn’t successful.
The charges were filed in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, against alleged hackers based in Germany and Syria.