Cybersecurity

News Blogger on Trial in Los Angeles Times Hack Downplays Damage

  • Matthew Keys says U.S. can't prove he caused $5,000 in losses
  • Keys was hailed by Time, Huffington Post before his arrest
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An acclaimed blogger charged in a hacking attack on the Los Angeles Times website is facing off against prosecutors who say he wreaked costly havoc on his former employer, Tribune Media Co., in revenge for being fired.

Matthew Keys, 28, is set to argue to a federal jury in Sacramento, California, when his trial starts Monday that he shouldn’t be charged with felonies because the U.S. can’t prove he caused $5,000 in damage. The government alleges that Keys, far from being a harmless prankster, cost the company more than $2 million, in large part by sending spam messages to a stolen customer list.