Who would have guessed that the pro-Assad hackers with the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) might have an artful bent? Well, the sprawling art-sharing site DeviantART has become mixed up in the quest to track down the identities of those behind the cyber-warfare outfit.
SEA, of course, is the hacker group responsible for the August attacks on the New York Times website and Twitter in support of Syria’s ruthless president. Security reporter Brian Krebs analyzed data from the SEA website, claiming that he could connect the attacks to 23-year-old Mohammad Osman, employed as a web designer with the Damascus-based firm Flex Solutions — and also a member of the DeviantART community for three years.
For his part Osman later replied to Krebs's article in a personal email denying any such connection: “I am not a member in 'Syrian Electronic Army', and if I were, would I mention where I work, post my personal photo as declaring my political views? ”
Does his DeviantART offer any help in getting to the bottom of the mystery? Unlike most other artist profiles on the site, though, where member pages are filled with colorful illustrations, nature photographs, and tattoo designs, Osman’s personal page — under the account name “Medothelost” — doesn’t have any of his artwork displayed, or any artistic images at all. What is instantly visible instead are his “Favourites” — images of the flag of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, along with images of the Great Syrian Army, a missile launch, and quotes — in Arabic — by Syrian president Bashar Al Assad.
Click over to his “Gallery” and again, there are no works of digital art, drawings, or other graphic design work. There are pictures, covered in Arab text, of American soldiers with prisoners at Abu Graib and anti-American commentary. You can also purchase a print titled “Terrorists of the Revolution,” “SSNP Flag,” or “Bashar AlAssad Quotes” in a 10-by-10-inch size, with a “lustre” finish. According to Krebs’s translation, the Arabic text on the page says that Osman is a member of the Free Syrian National Rally, a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, and a founding member of the Syrian Civil Youth Movement.
Krebs goes on to suggest that Osman recently changed his name to Mohamad Abd AlKarem, and that Osman used his personal account to register mohamadstudio.com, a website of Mohamad Abd AlKarem, a young man born in Ajman, UAE who moved to Syria in 2005, but, as per the site, recently relocated to Turkey.
Fran Berkman, a reporter with Mashable, pushed the story further claiming that based on “considerable evidence,” he could say that Osman and AlKarem (neither of whom have been proven to be with the SEA) are not, as Krebs claimed, the same person. Berkman even held a Skype interview with a man named AlKarem, in which the latter allegedly said, “I'm not the one who's from the Electronic Syrian Army. I am not Mohammed Osman; I am Mohamad Abd AlKarem, an artist.”
AlKarem told Berkman that Osman had emailed him and asked him to design some logos. From that point forward, they started working together. Later, AlKarem says he asked Osman to build him a website, which Osman did. He claims he has never met Osman in person.
AlKarem’s portfolio on another art site, Behance, is credible as the work of a graphic designer. It contains images of pieces he’s apparently done for the carpet company “Mody,” a coffee company called “Smart Coffee,” and another company called “Hanif Export & Import” — as well as a poster design that says in English, “Syria Burning: Help Your Syrian Brother.”
