A Rotherham computer hacker who claimed victims in the US, Canada and Israel has been jailed after admitting a string of offences.

Al-Tahery Al-Mashriky, aged 26, of Leonards Lane, Eastwood, claimed victims in North America, Yemen and Israel, to steal the log-in details of millions of people, a court was told, as part of an extremist hacker network.

He was arrested by National Crime Agency cybercrime officers in August 2022, acting on intelligence from US law enforcement around the activities of extremist hacker groups ‘Spider Team’ and ‘Yemen Cyber Army’.

He was jailed for 20 months.

Al-Tahery Al-Mashriky was jailed for his part in an 'extremist hacker network'. | nca

placeholder image — Al-Tahery Al-Mashriky was jailed for his part in an 'extremist hacker network'. | nca

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NCA investigators were able to link Al-Mashriky to the Yemen Cyber Army through social media and email accounts.

Forensic analysis of his laptop and several mobile phones showed that Al-Mashriky had infiltrated a number of websites including the Yemen Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Yemen Ministry of Security Media and an Israeli news outlet.

Al-Mashriky was also found to have targeted faith websites in Canada and the USA as well as the website for the California State Water Board.

The NCA, working with international law enforcement partners, was able to obtain accounts from the victims of these intrusions, who gave detailed insights into the significant cost and inconvenience he had caused.

Deputy director Paul Foster, head of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit, said: “Al-Mashriky’s attacks crippled the websites targeted, causing significant disruption to their users and the organisations, just so that he could push the political and ideological views of the ‘Yemen Cyber Army’.

“He had also stolen personal data that could have enabled him to target and defraud millions of people.

“Cybercrime can often appear faceless, with the belief that perpetrators hide in the shadows and can avoid detection.

"However, as this investigation shows, the NCA has the technical capability to pursue and identify offenders like Al-Mashriky and bring them to justice.”

Al-Mashriky pleaded guilty to a total of nine charges, all under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, including the unauthorised modification of computer material, securing unauthorised access to computer material with intent and obtaining an article for use in the commission of an offence.

He had been due to stand trial for 10 offences, but admitted nine.