Federal charges include conspiring with members of the hacker group to disrupt Tribune's Web server A former Tribune Company employee could face as much as 25 years of jail time over federal charges accusing him of conspiring with members of the hacker group Anonymous to hack into a Tribune website.Matthew Keys, who according to his LinkedIn and Twitter profiles is deputy social media editor at Thomson Reuters, has been charged with one count each of conspiracy to transmit information, transmitting information and attempting to transmit information to damage a protected computer, according to a federal indictment filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.If convicted, Keys could face 25 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of US$250,000 for each count, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.Keys was previously employed as a Web producer for the Sacramento-based television station KTXL Fox 40, which is owned by Tribune. He was terminated in October 2010, and in December 2010 he gave Anonymous members log-in credentials for a computer server belonging to Tribune, and encouraged them to disrupt the website, the DOJ said. An Anonymous hacker ultimately made changes to the Web version of a news article by the Los Angeles Times, another Tribune property, the DOJ said. The hacker altered the headline in the story to read, “Pressure builds in House to elect CHIPPY 1337,” according to the indictment.In an online chat, Keys responded, “nice,” according to a transcript included in the indictment. “It was part of the conspiracy to log in without authorization to Tribune Company’s content management system for the purpose of learning how to alter and damage it,” the indictment states.Keys did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment, though he wrote on Twitter early Thursday evening that he was “fine.”“Tonight I’m going to take a break,” he wrote. “Tomorrow, business as usual.”Reuters did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment. The Tribune Company declined to comment.Zach Miners covers social networking, search and general technology news for IDG News Service. Follow Zach on Twitter at @zachminers. Zach’s e-mail address is zach_miners@idg.com Related content news CIISec secures government funding to expand CyberEPQ program The funding will support places for 400 students with a focus on attracting a diverse pool of UK cybersecurity talent. By Michael Hill Oct 03, 2023 3 mins IT Training IT Training IT Training news Multibillion-dollar cybersecurity training market fails to fix the supply-demand imbalance Despite money pouring into programs around the world, training organizations have not managed to ensure employment for professionals, while entry-level professionals are finding it hard to land a job By Samira Sarraf Oct 02, 2023 6 mins CSO and CISO Technology Industry IT Training news Royal family’s website suffers Russia-linked cyberattack Pro-Russian hacker group KillNet took responsibility for the attack days after King Charles condemned the invasion of Ukraine. By Michael Hill Oct 02, 2023 2 mins DDoS Cyberattacks feature 10 things you should know about navigating the dark web A lot can be found in the shadows of the internet from sensitive stolen data to attack tools for sale, the dark web is a trove of risks for enterprises. Here are a few things to know and navigate safely. By Rosalyn Page Oct 02, 2023 13 mins Cybercrime Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe