ISIS Hacks US Military Social Media Accounts

Social media accounts affiliated with the United States Central Command, which oversees US military operations around the globe, were hacked by individuals sympathetic to the Islamic State.

The New York Times reports that the ISIS hackers struck the Central Command YouTube and Twitter accounts Monday, Jan. 12. The hackers identified themselves as the Cyber Caliphate, an allusion to the caliphate that ISIS claims to represent. A caliphate is a governmental body headed by one who claims to be the successor to the Prophet Mohammed, which is what the head of ISIS purports to be.

The hackers posted messages denigrating the United States and celebrating ISIS and jihad. They also posted the names and personal information of people the hackers claimed were members of the US military. The Times reports that most of the information shared by the hackers appears to be publicly accessible.

Reuters reports that the hack lasted around 30 minutes in total and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is currently investing. The Pentagon said that while the incident was an embarrassment, it did not represent a serious security lapse that endangered classified information and systems.

Among the information the hackers leaked were the names of generals and their addresses, according to Reuters.

Ironically, the hacking occurred on the same day that President Barack Obama was announcing new legislative proposals that would help to shore up cyber security defenses and the US response to cyber attacks. Those proposals came in the wake of a devastating hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment that saw films and a myriad of other confidential information made public.

The United States has blamed North Korea for that attack, but the perpetrator has not been definitively identified.