Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey alleged hacker arrested

In August, the hacking group Chuckling Squad engaged in a high-profile hack of the Twitter account of chief executive CEO Jack Dorsey. The hack was carried out via SIM swapping and allowed the group to post racist and antisemitic tweets on his account, as well as threats of terrorism via bombings. This was not the only account hacked by the group (actors and other celebrities were targets), but it had the farthest-reaching ramifications. Due to the hack, Twitter changed its multifactor authentication system by removing the phone number registration requirement.

In a twist of irony, the main alleged perpetrator turned out to be a minor and was exiled from Chuckling Squad once they were arrested by law enforcement. In an interview with Vice’s Motherboard, which also broke the news of the arrest, a member of Chuckling Squad stated:

He was a member of Chuckling Squad but not anymore. He was an active member for us by providing celebs/public figure [phone] numbers and helped us hack them.

The prosecution of the unnamed member who allegedly hacked Jack Dorsey is being carried out by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. The office also manages the Regional Enforcement Allied Computer Team (REACT), which was a vital component in unmasking the hacker’s identity. When Motherboard’s staff emailed the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, they had this to say about the whole affair:

We applaud the efforts of all the law enforcement agencies involved in this arrest. REACT continues to work with and assist our law enforcement partners in any way we can. We hope this arrest serves as a reminder to the public that people who engage in these crimes will be caught, arrested and prosecuted.

Now that this individual’s hacking collective has thrown them under the bus, and prison time for hacking Jack Dorsey looks likely, hopefully he will consider a life change. Especially since he is a minor with a long life ahead of him.

Featured image: Flickr / JD Lasica

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