Hacker Sentenced: 14-Month Prison Term for SEC X Account Compromise

An Alabama man, Eric Council Jr., has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for his role in the hacking of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) X account. Council pleaded guilty to charges related to a SIM swap attack that gained unauthorized access to the SEC’s digital communications platform. He was indicted for attempting to manipulate Bitcoin prices by falsely announcing the approval of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The illegal act caused the price of Bitcoin to surge, but subsequently reversed with the correction in the market.