Tech | January 08, 2012 | 3 comments

Anonymous exposes defence and intelligence officials in US and UK

source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jan/08/hackers-expose-defence-intelligence-officials

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ampersand
Thousands of British email addresses and encrypted passwords, including those of defence, intelligence and police officials as well as politicians and Nato advisers, have been revealed on the internet following a security breach by hackers.

Among the huge database of private information exposed by self-styled "hacktivists" are the details of 221 British military officials and 242 Nato staff. Civil servants working at the heart of the UK government – including several in the Cabinet Office as well as advisers to the Joint Intelligence Organisation, which acts as the prime minister's eyes and ears on sensitive information – have also been exposed.

The hackers, who are believed to be part of the Anonymous group, gained unauthorised access over Christmas to the account information of Stratfor, a consultancy based in Texas that specialises in foreign affairs and security issues. The database had recorded in spreadsheets the user IDs – usually email addresses – and encrypted passwords of about 850,000 individuals who had subscribed to Stratfor's website.

Some 75,000 paying subscribers also had their credit card numbers and addresses exposed, including 462 UK accounts.
Among the leaked email addresses are those of 221 Ministry of Defence officials identified by Bumgarner, including army and air force personnel. Details of a much larger group of US military personnel were leaked. The database has some 19,000 email addresses ending in the .mil domain of the US military.

In the US case, Bumgarner has found, 173 individuals deployed in Afghanistan and 170 in Iraq can be identified. Personal data from former vice-president Dan Quayle and former secretary of state Henry Kissinger were also released.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jan/08/hackers-expose-defence-intellig...
  1. groups:
    Community,   Tech,   Co-Evolution
  2. tags:
    Anonymous,  Hacking,  British Defence,  US Dept. of Defense
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3 comments // Anonymous exposes defence and intelligence officials in US and UK

  • Naumadd
    • 0
      Naumadd  

    • Such predators are precisely why the militaries of various nations exist in the first place. These are not patriots - they despise civilization by attacking what is not theirs for the immature pleasure of showing they can - not to show their thinking is superior.

      They do not fight for you - they put what little safety and security you have at risk by attacking those charged with giving it to you. No, I do not believe the governments, the militaries of the world to be entirely innocent and without blame. In fact, I know them not to be. Having been a member of one such and trusted with some of its many secrets, I can attest to the fact that governments and militaries are largely comprised of people like you, like me who simply wish to make a living and make a difference in the world without causing harm or being harmed. I see no indication Anonymous takes this fact into serious consideration before such reckless deeds.

      As I said to someone earlier today on a different topic - an argument for a more civilized human society isn't made by uncivil behavior.

      You can prove yourself a cunning prey by refusing to become the predator you despise. Anonymous has failed repeatedly in that regard.

    • 4 months ago
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  • ampersand
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