If convicted, Reuters' deputy social media editor Matthew Keys faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of his three counts.
It was announced today by the Department of Justice that Matthew Keys, the deputy social media editor for Reuters, has been indicted for conspiring to attack a Tribune Company website with Anonymous.
Via: @thematthewkeys
The three-count indictment alleges that in December 2010 Keys provided members of the hacker group Anonymous with log-in credentials for a computer server belonging to KTXL FOX 40's corporate parent, the Tribune Company. According to the indictment, Keys identified himself on an Internet chat forum as a former Tribune Company employee and provided members of Anonymous with a login and password to the Tribune Company server. After providing log-in credentials, Keys allegedly encouraged the Anonymous members to disrupt the website. According to the indictment, at least one of the computer hackers used the credentials provided by Keys to log into the Tribune Company server, and ultimately that hacker made changes to the web version of a Los Angeles Times news feature.
The indictment further alleges that Keys had a conversation with the hacker who claimed credit for the defacement of the Los Angeles Times website. The hacker allegedly told Keys that Tribune Company system administrators had thwarted his efforts and locked him out. Keys allegedly attempted to regain access for that hacker, and when he learned that the hacker had made changes to a Los Angeles Times page, Keys responded, "nice."
Via: justice.gov
One of the larger Anonymous-related twitter accounts have tweeted out the news.
Via: @YourAnonNews
Keys has been working for Reuters' social media team since January 2012, and his personal twitter account was named one of Time's 140 Best Twitter Feeds of 2012.
Via: techland.time.com