Skip to main content

Syrian Electronic Army hacks Financial Times website and Twitter feed

Syrian Electronic Army hacks Financial Times website and Twitter feed

Share this story

The Financial Times is the latest news organization to fall victim to the pro-Assad Syrian Electronic Army. Reuters reports that FT's website and Twitter account were both compromised earlier this morning. The former had headlines replaced by a declaration that the SEA had successfully hacked the site, while the latter was used to post tweets attacking groups that seek to depose President Bashar Hafez al-Assad. Not long after, however, the tweets were removed and the headlines fixed, though FT has said it is still working on regaining full control.

Hackers have affiliated themselves with the Syrian Electronic Army name for years, but the group has gained visibility with a series of hacks directed at news sites. The Guardian, NPR, and The Onion have all been successfully hacked in some fashion, and a fake AP tweet briefly sent the stock market tumbling. The group generally uses phishing emails directed at members of the press, convincing them to follow a news link to a story and give up account details.