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The State Department Database Has Allegedly Been Hacked and Sensitive Info. Released

Feb. 20, 2013 11:20am
Anonymous Claims to Hack State Department Posting Database With Staffer Contact Info Online

Anonymous members often wear Guy Fawkes masks. The loosely connected group claims to have hacked into the State Department and an investment firm. (Photo: Wikimedia)

Anonymous has claimed it hacked a U.S. State Department Database, releasing the names, email addresses, phone numbers and more of its staffers.

According to Read Write, the hacking collective posted the information of hundreds of State Department contacts on the ZeroBin website as part of its Operation Last Resort, which is retaliation for the lawsuit against Aaron Swartz who committed suicide last month.

Web Pro News has Anonymous’ statement regarding its latest claimed hack:

Our reasons for this attack are very simple. You’ve imprisoned or either censored our people. We will not tolerate things as such. You don’t see us going around censoring everything that is inappropriate or we do not like. Basically, you tried to put an end to us and you got owned, there’s nothing more you can say or do. You took away Topiary, Avunit, Neuron, Pwnsauce, lolspoon, Aaron Swartz shall we go on? Heck you think this makes us weak? We are only growing stronger because of the fact that you are forcing us to revolt. When the lions roar you will hear them. And when it’s feeding time you’ll be our dinner.

Aaron Swartz this is for you, this is for Operation Last Resort.

The State Department has not confirmed nor denied a breach of its systems yet. But it’s not like the State Department would be out of Anonymous’ reach. The hacktivists recently obtained information from a database held by the Federal Reserve, which the Federal Reserve confirmed. In the past they have also successfully hacked into an FBI conference call, into the Syrian Defense Ministry’s website, and the U.S. FTC’s consumer protection business center, consumer.gov, and the National Consumer Protection Week websites to name a few.

Web Pro News went on to report that in addition to the State Department, Anonymous also announced hacking the investment firm George K. Baum and Company. The company’s website appears back to normal now, but it was defaced earlier this week with a Pastebin account that held customer information. Web Pro News stated that the attack on this website was due to ties with the intelligence firm Stratfor.

 

Many tech sites are tying Anonymous recent hacks of government and company sites to President Barack Obama’s executive order regarding cyberattacks. They are wondering just how the government could or would be able to crack down on the actions by the hacking collective.

Update: Spokesperson from the State Department said to TheBlaze in an email that it is “aware of claims that the group Anonymous ‘hacked’ a Department website associated with state.gov, but cannot confirm the veracity of these claims at this time.” The department is currently investigating the matter.

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Comments (54)

1 2
  • diablosho
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 9:13pm

    To EVERYONE HERE that is supporting Anonymous, I’d like to bring your attention to two things:
    1. They are constantly, ACTIVELY stealing peoples’ credit card/logon info and selling them on defrauder websites. Just look into the Sony Playstation hack in 2011 (I think it was 2011) among others…
    2. They are ACTIVELY supporting Hamas, and even worse, they are ACTIVELY fighting Israel…
    3. They are CONSTANTLY promoting Socialism…

    Please do some freakin’ research guys…Either way, now that you know who you’re rooting for, carry on…

    Report this comment

    diablosho  
    • virgie morgan
      Posted on February 21, 2013 at 10:18am

      I actually believe this group is a group created by the government to play “good cop bad cop” with the people. When you think of all the attempts by China and various other countries who are constantly trying to hack into government sites and are not able to, how can these guys do it so easily? The answer is they don’t. They are part of the government. When the shtf this group will be one of those that say, come join us and we’ll protect you…and then you’ll find out they are the same as the government. Just my opinion.

      Report this comment

      virgie morgan  
  • ldonnell
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 5:41pm

    i would like to hear more about ben gazi

    Report this comment

    ldonnell  
  • ENIGMA28724
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 5:24pm

    Do they do requests? Could they please hack into the governments watch list and make it public? Not the terrorist list, just those citizens who happen to disagree with Dear Leader.

    Report this comment

    ENIGMA28724  
  • DixiesMom
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 5:09pm

    But!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    THIS IS EXACTLY WHY THERE SHOULD BE NO GOVERNMENT HEALTH CARE DATA BASE AND NO OBAMACARE. WE ARE ALL DOOMED.

    Report this comment

    DixiesMom  
  • CulperGang
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 3:02pm

    Everything is “classified information” according to ANY operation the US government is conducting WHY??? because EVERYTHING they are doing is AGAINST “humanities dignity” and “Humanities sensibilities.” US government is cannabalising its people. NOTHING they do on OUR$$$$$$$ is classified.NOTHING. Criminals using “classified” designation to conduct operations that endanger our lives(creating Al-Q), steal from the people(Barrys Billion+paid vacations) hiding all this under “classified inormation.”
    We the People are hated around the world because of the US government “classified operations” …
    mame and lame children in illegal wars. The US government is perpetrating atrocities WITHOUT the consent of the people, behind their backs via “classified information.” They all belong in behind bars for the rest of their natural lives.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKXspt459LE

    Report this comment

    CulperGang  
    • naughtycal
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 3:19pm

      I sure all of our departments have been compromised from the Radical Obama has appointed. It’s easy to hack the State Dept. when you’re giving the keys ,codes ,and passwords.

      Report this comment

      naughtycal  
  • UNALIEN
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 2:41pm

    is anonymous a false flag operation to enable the Government crack down on the internet???

    Report this comment

    UNALIEN  
    • PIGSWILLNEVERFLY
      Posted on February 21, 2013 at 9:22am

      UNALIEN – u see this too. OWS + Anonymous + Anarchists & Leftists = Regime

      Report this comment

      PIGSWILLNEVERFLY  
    • G-WHIZ
      Posted on February 21, 2013 at 9:38am

      Wonder why it is always “alleged”, and always “released” by the U.S.A.Govermnent?? Could it be another CRISIS designed by our COMMI-PROG govt.???

      Report this comment

      G-WHIZ  
  • AUsername
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 2:36pm

    Anonymous get the truth about 9/11 that might put an end to the police state being formed right now.

    Report this comment

    AUsername  
  • SocialistSlayer
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 1:54pm

    Anonymous – The new protectors of American Freedom ! Let Freedom ring ! Expose our Corrupt Commie Government !

    Report this comment

    SocialistSlayer  
  • 00100111
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 1:31pm

    Outstanding, Anonymous! You ever need boots on the ground, you let us know.

    Report this comment

    00100111  
  • lildrummerboy
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 1:25pm

    Seriously, if the government is paying all their security and network engineers an absorbent amount of money to design and secure these databases and they are facing the internet, they should be fired. If they are behind a decent firewall and they have IDS/IPS they should have been sent alarms about the traffic hitting their systems and shut down, unless of course these are inside jobs?

    Report this comment

    lildrummerboy  
    • GhostOfJefferson
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 1:37pm

      You forget the primary fact that government is innately incompetent. People need to figure this out, this isn’t some fake drama on television like CSI where they are the supreme overlords of high tech coolness, we’re talking about agencies that still, in many cases, haven’t figured out Windows XP yet at the desktop level, let alone back end server configurations.

      Report this comment

      GhostOfJefferson  
    • lildrummerboy
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 4:05pm

      dude thats crap, they are ahead of the civilian world and have been, where do you think the Intranets and interwebs came from? al gore? My close friend is a contracted security auditor, he knows what their systems are and they are not that far behind, maybe some end user in a basement doing filing might have an xp machine. if they are that far behind then they must be stocking that new datacenter in Utah with out of date gear huh? they’re monitoring all of our data transmissions with xp machines? lol..too funny

      Report this comment

      lildrummerboy  
    • BlueStrat
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 7:41pm

      @LDB

      You err thinking that what DARPA and the NSA/CIA/other-TLAs have in a limited number of facilities somehow secures the general government IT infrastructure. Sure, the NSA and other TLAs have some nifty toys in some secret labs & facilities, but that doesn’t harden or secure the majority of government IT infrastructure.

      Most internet-facing government networks aren’t even as secure as Amazon or Netflix. Coupled with the cost and completion-time overruns in government IT contracts, many if not most government networks and even the later upgrades to improve security are already obsolete & vulnerable before they’re even finished. This is reinforced by the fact that these government sites are being breached and/or taken down for the most part by little more than “script-kiddies”.

      Any individual or team/cell of REAL “hackers” could turn most any government network into the metaphorical equivalent of a “smoking crater” after copying anything of interest/importance they’d care to. The websites certainly would not be back up in a few hours.They wouldn’t just score a few email accounts or username/password lists, they’d have *everything* on the servers and anything the servers connect to, including backups and any other computers connected to the network.

      If the government is planning on going to war with it’s people, they’d better have plenty of paper and pens/pencils, because within a few hours they won’t have computer networks anymore, or even compute

      Report this comment

      BlueStrat  
    • lildrummerboy
      Posted on February 21, 2013 at 1:00pm

      @blues, my point was that if they are paying these people to design networks and secure them the db’s with all this private info should not be facing the internet, i mean yeah maybe they could destabilize a web server to try and gain some network information, but again they deserve what they get if not designed well. I already know that a bot net can take down a webserver, but getting beyond that is difficult or should be if firewalls are places in layers. Reinforcing my point, they should be fired!

      Report this comment

      lildrummerboy  
  • Eternal
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:54pm

    Go getem’ Anonymous!

    Report this comment

    Eternal  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:42pm

    I am wondering which nation is backing Anonymous in full or part; there is a larger part of the picture we are not seeing that is out in the open.

    Report this comment

    Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • GhostOfJefferson
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:59pm

      You don’t need a nation to back Anonymous. They’re everywhere. And there is no small number of libertarians in their ranks. At the Ohio gun rally 2 weeks ago we had 3 of them show up (in masks) in support of the 2nd Amendment. There is no big trick to stifling government cyber security, it’s not rocket science (well, it is a bit complex, but nothing a decent ******* can’t figure out in short order). The government is incompetent, don’t believe the hyped up evening pro-government shows where they’re made out to be omnipotent. They’re the opposite of that.

      Report this comment

      GhostOfJefferson  
    • lildrummerboy
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 1:11pm

      Ghost speaks as one who knows anonymous then? They admitted to you they were libertarian? or you assume because they showed up to a gun show and played the part they were libertarian? again, anyone can play the part for misinformation gain…

      Report this comment

      lildrummerboy  
    • GhostOfJefferson
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 1:27pm

      Yes, that’s right kids, this site censors the word c r a c k e r. It also censors the word m i l i t i a, which can easily be found in the Constitution (see Amendment 2).

      Oh, how nice this place has become, with the censoring and post removal and character limits, since the HuffPo gal joined on at the Blaze.

      Report this comment

      GhostOfJefferson  
    • KevINtampa
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 1:39pm

      Sigh here we go again.

      Anonymous isn’t a group that even knows each other. Anonymous isn’t even a “they”. Anonymous is a tag for anyone to use. Reports as these should read, “An unknown hacker group under the cloak of the Anonymous tag, has leaked state department information.”

      If I wanted to I could use the Anonymous tag. You could use the Anonymous tag. The CIA could use the Anonymous tag. The Chinese could use the Anonymous tag. That’s the whole entire point of the Anonymous tag: It can be used by anyone because by the definition of it’s own name it is…wait for it…Anonymous.

      Anonymous isn’t made up of a specific group of people. Anonymous doesn’t have a recruiting guideline. Anonymous doesn’t have a leader or any kind of hierarchy associated with it. There are exactly 0 members in Anonymous, because Anonymous as a group does not exist. It’s just a tag. A Libertarian can use the tag. A Marxist can use the tag. A Jew can use the tag. A Muslim can use the tag. No one is “in” Anonymous. Those that say they are either:
      #1 Trolling you.
      #2 Completely misunderstanding the concept.

      Report this comment

      KevINtampa  
    • GhostOfJefferson
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 1:52pm

      @Kevin

      Exactly correct. Hence why there are libertarians in it, as well as socialists, as well as likely, Muslim extremists. It’s decentralized leaderless cell, which is why the actual branding (Anonymous) will continue to be a thorn in the arse of the state.

      Report this comment

      GhostOfJefferson  
    • KevINtampa
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 2:09pm

      @GHOSTOFJEFFERSON

      A thorn in the arse of the state, perhaps. There are some that argue it provides the state a perfect cover as well. Mark my words, the “wins” of Anonymous will grow in both number and severity. The state will eventually attain more power and control because of the sheople’s reaction and fear to the damage the Anonymous tag causes. Who’s to say these leaks are not state planned and a sacrifice to the greater good of control that the actions will undoubtedly bring.

      The concept of Anonymous works both ways. Don’t ever think an alphabet agency wouldn’t covert an action under the Anonymous tag, it provides the perfect cover for any cyber operation, state sanctioned or state opposed. This is why it is important people understand that Anonymous has no ideology; people should not let the actions labelled as Anonymous to shape their opinion on ANY issue.

      Report this comment

      KevINtampa  
    • lildrummerboy
      Posted on February 21, 2013 at 1:12pm

      @KEVIN, I agree and that’s what I told Jefferson in another article about this a week or so ago, but his defense was “prove it”, but now he agrees with you that “anonymous” could be a covert action by the state. Which was my point in a previous article. The state will use this against us, its not a matter of if but when and to what degree…thanks for your comment:)

      Report this comment

      lildrummerboy  
  • fgarvin
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:39pm

    SSSWWWWWEEEEEEETTTTTT, I hope they post the State Dept. Staff residency directory, with complete addresses, on-line. And whether they own a gun!!!!! Hopefully all their homes are gun free zones. Wouldn’t want a decent person to get hurt :)

    Report this comment

    fgarvin  
  • Thundergod
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:33pm

    I think its all to give the government an excuse to take control of it all or shut it all down before the gun confiscations begin. Anonymous are probably run by the same people who got Obama elected.

    Report this comment

    Thundergod  
    • GhostOfJefferson
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 1:54pm

      False.

      There is no “being run by”. If you want to join Anonymous, you can do so. They have no leaders and no hierarchy. This isn’t your grandpa’s resistance movement.

      Report this comment

      GhostOfJefferson  
  • media-bias-steals-elections
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:22pm

    Oh, they can stop hacking if they want to, even the hackers have to get their developer tools from somewhere, and they can’t decode all the hidden stuff they have to use? All it takes is “marshall law” of the internet, they could force everyone to use cloud operating systems, ban linux tools, release malware that destroys computer code compilers or simply phase out current hardware with new hardware that would make hacking very unproductive?

    The United States may even have to put up a firewall like China? If hackers think they have it tough now, they are fooling themselves? Future debates are not going to won with secrecy, they are going to be won by people with ethics?

    I’ve read about attacks to Linux kernel distrubution centers (kernel.org), they attacked Apple product developers recently. Don’t worry, they can just make new rules, if you work for the State Department, you will have to use typewriters with ribbons, no white out, and you will have to rely on paper records?

    Any business that does not have paper records is going to fail?

    Worked during WWII?

    Report this comment

    media-bias-steals-elections  
  • DimmuBorgir
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:19pm

    OH yeah, they don’t like “big banks” either… so original

    Report this comment

    DimmuBorgir  
    • GhostOfJefferson
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 1:56pm

      What person would like the big banks, 99% of whom are directly connected to the government, who live on government bailouts, and who have lobbyists who write laws that are favorable to big banks while also being a sore determent to small banks and small financial institutions. Big banks are Bank of America (big Obama support), Chase and others of the same ilk who have and will continue to use government to nail our common man pasty buts to the fence for proper execution.

      They are not your friends, big banks, and they are not even remotely capitalist.

      Report this comment

      GhostOfJefferson  
  • DimmuBorgir
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:17pm

    Until Anonymous does something for anyone other than themselves they’re no better than any other gang out committing crimes.

    They’re “fighting the man” only because some of them were arrested for breaking laws they don’t agree with.

    Report this comment

    DimmuBorgir  
    • AbrahamsSheepdog
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:37pm

      True. If they had something on a freeloading kenya boy king now…

      Report this comment

      AbrahamsSheepdog  
    • lildrummerboy
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 1:15pm

      exactly..do us a favor and crack hawaii’s db with the King Husseins birth certificate and or college records, then you’re doing something for the country..other then that its just a cat and mouse game to them…

      Report this comment

      lildrummerboy  
  • Cavallo
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:16pm

    So? Now what?

    Report this comment

    Cavallo  
    • CulperGang
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 3:07pm

      SUNLIGHT is a CLEANSER. that is what. when the uniform get it all over the world that they are supporting tyrants then they will turn the guns in the right direction. thats what.

      Report this comment

      CulperGang  
  • term limits for congress
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:14pm

    Nothing important should ever be exposed to the internet. But, it is…. goofy.

    Which reminds me, I need to sign up as a Medicare service provider so I can start billing govt for services and get in on the electronic medical records thing.

    Report this comment

    term limits for congress  
  • Pigfarmer
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:12pm

    Now we can find out what really happen in Lybia

    Report this comment

    Pigfarmer  
  • Just_Us2
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:07pm

    The dirty secret your government is not telling you is that the technology they are using is 20 to 40 years old depending on the agency. They do not upgrade, they simply patch the software. Think of it as a leaky dam. You can patch the leaks, but the dam is still weak and another leak will spring up. The entire dam needs to be replaced. In the world of technology, 20 years is a lifetime, think windows 3.0, big floppy disks and a CRT that was green. Not saying this is the front end equipment they are using, its the infrastructure written in COBAL. It’s not so much that we are blocking anyone from hacking, We are being hacked, they guys just let us know about it. The international hackers doing it for their country just monitor. They don’t need nukes to destroy us, just the ability to freeze our bank accounts, ruin our credit and cut off our power grid. Who knows how much money is bring stolen right out from under our nose. None of our information is safe. We are the USSR trying to compete with a world full of Americas. We simply do not have the capacity at this time to fight against what is throw at us….these amateur hackers are proof.

    Report this comment

    Just_Us2  
  • denkat56
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:05pm

    Anonymous claims to hacking the site, why, did you, what are doing with the data, who do think you are. And what are you trying to prove. You hack the sight now what. Do something to get Obama and friends out of office, get rid of the Illuminati, do something worth while, not penny ante. If you are so smart do something worth while.

    Report this comment

    denkat56  
  • wilbstal
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:05pm

    no site can get hacked if its off line you dumb bastards you dont do **** anyway except Murder good Americans

    Report this comment

    wilbstal  
  • 13th Imam
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 11:47am

    Anon just told me that BarryHugeEars, JoeBiteMe, and EricGun Runner, authorized the murder of Amb Stevens and three other Americans. And these three also OKed the running of guns to Mehico.

    Report this comment

    13th Imam  
  • lid.smoker
    Posted on February 20, 2013 at 11:45am

    Back in my day when someone got hacked it was with an ax.

    Report this comment

    lid.smoker  
    • spirited
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:02pm

      Axing questions has not been permitted… Axelrod helped hoodwink voters.
      “Yes WE Can”
      “Fundamental Change” and seems to have been taken to heart
      “You didn’t build that”
      “Punish your enemines”>Modern hacking is in opposition to bamboozling

      Report this comment

      spirited  
    • spirited
      Posted on February 20, 2013 at 12:06pm

      Seems
      “Punish your enemies”
      “Yes WE Can”
      “Don’t let them bamboozle you”
      “You didnt build that”
      and
      “I’m not a king”

      >have been taken seriously

      Report this comment

      spirited  
1 2

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