Iraq arrests suspect in Nineveh cyberattack that cut internet for 6,000 users

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's National Security Advisory said Wednesday that a suspect has been arrested in connection with a cyberattack on an internet service provider in Mosul that disrupted service for 6,000 users in Nineveh province. The advisory said technical teams, working from intelligence leads, identified the individual behind the attack. According to initial investigative findings, the suspect aimed to sow chaos in Mosul and pressure internet users through extortion, the advisory said. It added that swift intelligence work and a technical response prevented the plan from being carried out. A judicial decision was issued under Article 362 of Iraq's penal code, with the operation carried out under the supervision of the president of the Nineveh Court of Appeal. The advisory said the suspect was taken into custody in a raid conducted by a tactical unit attached to the Nineveh Directorate of Security.