14 DAY TRIAL // A group calling itself “Islamic State Hacking Division” has revealed personal information identifying 100 US military members and their residence, in an effort to turn them into targets for ISIS sympathizers and supporters in the US.
Apart from names and addresses of residence, the “Hacking Division” also posted pictures of the targeted military personnel. In a post on anonymous pasting website Just Paste, the group asserts that the targets have participated in operations against ISIS.
Hack attack did not occur on military systems, officials say
The information is claimed to be the result of successful cyber-attacks on different military services, including emails and databases. The group also says it possesses a large cache of sensitive data, suggesting that the published details are just a part of what it has.
The doxers said in the public announcement that “with all this access we have successfully obtained personal information related to military personnel,” referring to hacked machines belonging to the US Air Force, Navy and Army.
However, US Department of Defense (DoD) officials deny a cyber-breach on their servers and say that the information disclosed does not appear to be confidential in nature as most of it can be found in public records, The New York Times reports.
They say that the people on it have been cited in news pieces on airstrikes aimed at ISIS militants, or appeared in DoD’s own reports regarding campaigns against ISIS in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, the Khurasan region and Somalia.
On the other hand, individuals have not been part of these efforts are present, too, one example being those stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana (2nd Bomb Wing) and at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota (5th Bomb Wing).
Stronger online security recommended
"Kill them in their own lands," the post said, inciting ISIS members to take action against the soldiers in their own home or other places they felt safe.
Life threatening instigation is not to be treated lightly, even if they appear to be unsupported, and officials are aware of the danger the military personnel and their families is in.
Given the increased online presence of ISIS and the data gathering methods at the hands of just anyone sufficiently motivated to learn personal information, one recommendation issued by some officials is for military individuals to enforce a tighter lock on their online social accounts and prevent personal information to become available to third-parties as much as possible.