It has barely scraped a mention in the mainstream media, but it has been confirmed that a hacker has breached DHS and FBI systems, threatening to release thousands of files on personnel, and emails containing sensitive data. The Department of Homeland Security employees discovered this morning that personal information had been stolen from servers. According to the anonymous hacker, 20,000 FBI staff members would be next.
The hacker’s handle on Twitter @DotGovs suggests a motivation by the Palestinian conflict. Screenshots were posted showing him accessing the U.S. Department of Justice Web page. It was followed by a “When will the US government realize we won’t stop until they cut relations with Israel?”
When will the US government realize we won’t stop until they cut relations with Israel..
— penis (@DotGovs) February 8, 2016
The hack was executed a week ago, but the breach has only been recognized in the last 24 hours, claims DotGovs. It comes at a time when Homeland Security officials were hoping to present themselves in a more positive light by the efforts they went to in securing the Super Bowl celebrations in California’s Levi Stadium.
A full terabyte of data has been accessed, including military emails through to credit card numbers. These details are yet to be released by DotGovs, unlike the personal information released. Motherboard has said to have verified the claims by calling some of the phone numbers released.
The hacker explained the simplicity of how it was done. “So I called up, told them I was new and I didn’t understand how to get past [the portal],” the hacker told Motherboard. “They asked if I had a token code, I said no, they said that’s fine—just use our one.”
The motivation behind the hacking relates potentially to the CWA group, according to Softpedia, who states it fits the previous hacking attempts on CIA director John Brennan, and the announcement made via Motherboard. However, the hacker has not announced any affiliation with any collective or group, at this stage.
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