Two Men Arrested in Connection with UK-Based Internet Hackers Who Infiltrated CIA Director’s Email
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Two North Carolina men were arrested Thursday in connection to the hacking of various accounts belonging to senior American officials.
Andrew Boggs, 22, and Justin Liverman, 24, were accused of working along with a hacker group called “Crackas with Attitude,” which targeted several high-profile members of the U.S. intelligence community — including former deputy FBI Director Mark Giuliano, CIA Director John Brennan, and National Intelligence Director James Clapper, according to The New York Times.
The hacker group used social engineering techniques to trick American officials and their families into giving up personal information — specifically by posing at IT support personnel. In one example, the group’s ringleader — known as Cracka — impersonated a Verizon employee to gain access to the account of CIA Director Brennan, according to PhoneArena.
In another instance, another member of the group called an FBI help desk, asking that Deputy Director Giuliano’s password be reset, ARS Technica reported.
“Crackas with Attitude” also publicly released a handful of sensitive documents, including a 47-page security clearance questionnaire that Brennan completed to obtain his position as CIA director. The group also released personal data on around 29,000 federal employees, including members of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, according to the Washington Post.
While Boggs and Liverman were located in the US, at least three other members of the group — including group leader Cracka — were living in Britain at the time, where local authorities arrested them earlier this year. Cracka reportedly told the New York Post, after he was arrested, that he was motivated by his opposition to U.S. foreign policy.
An affidavit accused the UK-based members of the group with the majority of the social engineering instances, but also accused Boggs and Liverman of encouraging the feats and harassment. Liverman and another member of the group were also accused of a fake bomb threat phoned in to local law enforcement in Palm Beach, Florida earlier this year, prosecutors said.
Boggs and Liverman were charged with multiple federal offenses, including hacking-related crimes. They’re expected to make their first court appearances next week, according to the Times.
