Iran Press/America: The hacker, named Victor Gevers, broke into US President Donald Trump’s account @realDonaldTrump on 16 October by guessing the US president’s password, Dutch media reports said.
Both the White House and Twitter strenuously denied reports that the account had been hacked, The Guardian reported.
Gevers, 44, disclosed the hack immediately, saying the password he guessed was “maga2020!”, referring to the Trump slogan “Make America Great Again”.
The public prosecutor’s office (Openbaar Ministerie) said: “We believe the hacker has actually penetrated Trump’s Twitter account but has met the criteria that have been developed in case law to go free as an ethical hacker.”
It added that hacking was a criminal offense in the Netherlands. But it said that “special circumstances”, also referred to in practice as “responsible disclosure”, could stop prosecutors from taking steps.
Dutch prosecutors made their findings based on an investigation by the police specialist cyber unit, called Team High-tech Crime.
Earlier, Reuters reported Sunday night that the US Treasury Department had been attacked and hacked.
101/216
Read more:
US Treasury hacked by Russian hackers
US FireEye stock drops as cybersecurity company reveals it was hacked
