US penalises three ‘hackers for hire’ working for UAE firm
Al Jazeera
Three defendants agree to pay $1.68m in penalties after criminal investigation by US Justice Department.
Three “hackers-for-hire” working for a company in the United Arab Emirates “for the benefit” of the government in Abu Dhabi have agreed to pay $1.68m in penalties as part of a legal settlement in the United States, the US Justice Department said.
The suspects, two US citizens and one former American citizen, provided “zero-click” computer hacking services to the UAE company “that could compromise a device without any action by the target”, the Justice Department said in a statement on Tuesday.
It identified the individuals as Marc Baier, 49, Ryan Adams, 34, and Daniel Gericke, the former US citizen, age 40. US law allows Americans to renounce their citizenship.
