Hackers expose defence and intelligence officials in US and UK (fwd)

[security curmudgeon <jericho () attrition org>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
From: Dewayne Hendricks

Hackers expose defence and intelligence officials in US and UK
Security breach by 'hacktivists' reveals email addresses of 221 British
military staff and 242 Nato officials
By Ed Pilkington in New York and Richard Norton-Taylor
Sunday 8 January 2012

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

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.

[..]
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