Suspects charged in connection with 2011 cyberattacks on PBS, other entities

Five suspects, considered among the "most sophisticated hackers in the world" by authorities, were arrested and charged Tuesday (March 6) in Manhattan federal court with conspiracy in connection with computer attacks last year against PBS, Fox Broadcasting Co. and Sony Pictures Entertainment, reports CNN. A sixth suspect pleaded guilty in August to computer hacking and other crimes and has been cooperating with government investigators.

On May 29, 2011, techs at PBS.org as well as the NewsHour and Frontline websites spent hours regaining control during the cyberattack (Current, June 13, 2011). The hack exposed contact information for hundreds of PBS staffers, stations, producers and press, as well as several internal PBS databases. The action was reportedly done in retaliation for a Frontline documentary about WikiLeaks broadcast five days earlier.