Man Jailed for 20 Months After Compromising Millions of Accounts

A shocking case of cybercrime has come to light in Rotherham, as a 26-year-old man was sentenced to 20 months behind bars for a range of hacktivism-related offenses. Al-Tahery Al-Mashriky's actions left millions of accounts vulnerable to exploitation, and his arrest marks a significant victory for law enforcement agencies fighting against online crime.

Al-Mashriky's trail of digital destruction began in 2022, when National Crime Agency (NCA) officers were tipped off by US investigators. The investigation revealed that the Rotherham man had been accessing and defacing official websites, including those of the Yemen Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Yemen Ministry of Security Media, and Israeli Live News.

The NCA claimed that Al-Mashriky used hacking tools to scan for usernames and vulnerabilities on his targets. His activities were linked to hacktivist groups such as the Yemen Cyber Army. The scope of his offending was staggering, with claims that he had compromised as many as 3000 accounts in a single three-month period.

However, Al-Mashriky's actions went beyond mere web defacements. NCA officers discovered a trove of personal data on one of his laptops, including the usernames and passwords for millions of Facebook users, as well as access to sensitive information for services like Netflix and Paypal. This hinted at a more sinister plan to commit large-scale identity fraud or sell the data on to others.

Al-Mashriky was due to stand trial for 10 Computer Misuse Act offenses at Sheffield Crown Court in March but pleaded guilty to nine of them on March 17. The court ultimately sentenced him to 20 months behind bars, a sentence that reflects the severity of his crimes.

"Al-Mashriky's attacks crippled the websites targeted, causing significant disruption to their users and the organisations," argued NCA National Cyber Crime Unit boss, Paul Foster. "He had also stolen personal data that could have enabled him to target and defraud millions of people."

Cybercrime can often appear faceless, with perpetrators hiding in the shadows and evading detection. However, this case demonstrates that law enforcement agencies have the technical capability to pursue and identify offenders like Al-Mashriky and bring them to justice.