Anonymous Says It’s Hacked U.S. Security Think Tank, Promises Weeklong Assault
- Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:49am by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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LONDON (AP) — Hackers with the loose-knit movement “Anonymous” claimed on Sunday to have stolen a raft of emails and credit card data from U.S.-based security think tank Stratfor, promising it was just the start of a weeklong, Christmas-inspired assault on a long list of targets.
Anonymous boasted of stealing Stratfor’s confidential client list and mining it for more than 4,000 credit card numbers, passwords and addresses. The real threat appeared posed to individual employees of government agencies and private companies, and one alleged hacker said the goal was to use the credit data to pilfer a million dollars and give it away as Christmas donations.
Images posted claimed to show receipts, and victims confirmed to The Associated Press unauthorized credit card transactions linked to their accounts.
“Not as many as you expected? Worry not, fellow pirates and robin hoods. These are just the “A”s,” read a message posted online that encouraged readers to download a file of the hacked information.
The flood of leaked data started when a Twitter account tied to Anonymous posted a link to what they said was Stratfor’s tightly-guarded, confidential client list. Among those on the list: The U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force and the Miami Police Department.
The rest of the list, which the hacking movement said was a small slice of its 200 gigabytes worth of plunder, included banks, law enforcement agencies, defense contractors and technology firms such as Apple and Microsoft.
“Not so private and secret anymore?” the group taunted in a message on the microblogging site, warning of more mayhem to come.
Austin, Texas-based Stratfor provides political, economic and military analysis to help clients reduce risk, according to a description on its YouTube page. It charges subscribers for its reports and analysis, delivered through the web, emails and videos.
Lt. Col. John Dorrian, public affairs officer for the Air Force, said that “for obvious reasons” the Air Force doesn’t discuss specific vulnerabilities, threats or responses to them.
“The Air Force will continue to monitor the situation and, as always, take apporpriate action as necessary to protect Air Force networks and information,” he said in an email.
Miami Police Department spokesman Sgt. Freddie Cruz Jr. said that he could not confirm that the agency was a client of Stratfor, and he said he had not received any information about any security breach involving the police department.
Anonymous said it was able to get the credit details in part because Stratfor didn’t bother encrypting them – an easy-to-avoid blunder which, if true, would be a major embarrassment for any security-related company.
Hours after publishing what it claimed was Stratfor’s client list, Anonymous tweeted a link to encrypted files online. It said the files contained 4,000 credit cards, passwords and home addresses belonging to individuals on the think tank’s private client list.
It also linked to images online that it suggested were receipts for charitable donations made by the group manipulating the credit card data it stole.
“Thank you! Defense Intelligence Agency,” read the text above one image that appeared to show a transaction summary indicating that an agency employee’s information was used to donate $250 to a non-profit.
One receipt – to the American Red Cross – had Allen Barr’s name on it.
Barr, of Austin, Texas, recently retired from the Texas Department of Banking and said he discovered last Friday that a total of $700 had been spent from his account. Barr, who has spent more than a decade dealing with cybercrime at banks, said five transactions were made in total.
“It was all charities, the Red Cross, CARE, Save the Children. So when the credit card company called my wife she wasn’t sure whether I was just donating,” said Barr, who wasn‘t aware until a reporter with the AP called that his information had been compromised when Stratfor’s computers were hacked.
“It made me feel terrible. It made my wife feel terrible. We had to close the account.”
Stratfor said in an email to members that it had suspended its servers and email after learning that its website had been hacked.
“We have reason to believe that the names of our corporate subscribers have been posted on other web sites,” said the email, passed on to The Associated Press by subscribers. “We are diligently investigating the extent to which subscriber information may have been obtained.”
The email, signed by Stratfor Chief Executive George Friedman, said the company is “working closely with law enforcement to identify who is behind the breach.”
“Stratfor’s relationship with its members and, in particular, the confidentiality of their subscriber information, are very important to Stratfor and me,” Friedman wrote.
Repeated calls to Stratfor went unanswered Sunday and an answering machine thanked callers for contacting the “No. 1 source for global intelligence.” Stratfor’s website was down, with a banner saying “site is currently undergoing maintenance.”
Wishing everyone a “Merry LulzXMas” – a nod to its spinoff hacking group Lulz Security – Anonymous also posted a link on Twitter to a site containing the email, phone number and credit number of a U.S. Homeland Security employee.
The employee, Cody Sultenfuss, said he had no warning before his details were posted.
“They took money I did not have,” he told The Associated Press in a series of emails, which did not specify the amount taken. “I think why me? I am not rich.”
One member of the hacking group, who uses the handle AnonymousAbu on Twitter, claimed that more than 90,000 credit cards from law enforcement, the intelligence community and journalists – “corporate/exec accounts of people like Fox” news – had been hacked and used to “steal a million dollars” and make donations.
It was impossible to verify where credit card details were used. Fox News was not on the excerpted list of Stratfor members posted online, but other media organizations including MSNBC and Al Jazeera English appeared in the file.
Anonymous warned it has “enough targets lined up to extend the fun fun fun of LulzXmas through the entire next week.”
The group has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on companies such as Visa, MasterCard and PayPal, as well as others in the music industry and the Church of Scientology.
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Comments (102)
TH30PH1LUS
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 11:52amI wonder if George Friedman is re-thinking a few chapters of his book “The Next 100 Years”?
Report Post »boomboom
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 2:39pmI‘m glad I’m not “Anon”.
Those security guys play for keeps.
Report Post »ishka4me
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 10:06amseems to be that they attacked the blaze for a while. Love their promotion of free speech by attacking those with different views. You know this anonymous is with soros and occupy? they are one in the same.
Report Post »proantisocialist
Posted on December 27, 2011 at 11:52amwhyis our security connected to the web to begin with, if i were president all critical computers will not have any type of internet access,either hardwire or wi-fi…
Report Post »ObserverOnTheHill
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 11:44amIs there a possibility that this is being done by the government ? Once enough damage is perceived then the corrupt thieving politicians step in and say this is the reason the internet must be “shut down”. In today’s world you cannot believe anything you see or read anymore. Kind of makes it tough to separate the black hats from the white hats. OOPS that may be a racist statement that is now being reported to the Obama snitch site.
Report Post »jasmer
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 2:28pmNo, the Gov’t may be malicious on occasion, but Anon isn’t a front. These are a collection of unpleasant little dorks who get their jollies by hurting others, particularly if they can imagine themselves as “making a statement” in doing so. They generally congregate on Internet groups that adore stupid or sick humor – 4chan is one of the ones I remember, as is goatse.cx (don‘t look them up unless you’re after sick porn) – and were probably spin-offs of the more… reputable? hacker groups. They’re not in it for the money, though, they’re in it for the vandalism.
I applauded when they attacked Scientology. I gave them the benefit of the doubt when they supported Assange. I was pretty disgusted when they “outed” cops personal information from the safety of their parents’ basements. Now that they’re using wire fraud to “donate” stolen money to charity, however, I hope the big guns are brought out.
Report Post »last frontier
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:10pmFor years, as the internet was growing, the Government would catch hackers breaking the law, or recruit them from trade shows then they would hire the hackers to design and test computer programs for the Government. Now the hackers are turning on the government and the government is trying to stop the hacking with new hackers, and many of the US government hackers have been hired by China, and soon they will turn on China, this will only continue to spiral out of control.
Report Post »IMAWAKENOW
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 5:50pmI am old enough to remember times where you would go into a bank, deposit real $$s and write checks for your purchases. I hope everyone has some cash on hand for when big brother decides to shut it all down to get security up and running. I will miss the internet though. We are going back to the 1960s.
Report Post »HumbleMan
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:02pmHey Jaz … if they’re not a front-group. Is the emblem accidentally like the UN?
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 11:42amProb an atheist. LOL…they will eventually get caught. It is only a matter of time…and they typically get caught by their own bragging on the net.
Just punks and jerks. Hope the authorities do not give them a sweet job in a security agency, hope they throw the bloody book at em.
Report Post »RisetovotesiR
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 5:19amWill god, jesus, or the holy ghost get them?
Report Post »Luke21
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 11:42am@Rise
Answer: You will stand before the Son for judgment. God is a title they share – made up of the Father, the Son (aka the Son of Man; Jesus Christ; the Messiah), & the Spirit. All called God.
“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Luke 21:25-26)
Then Jesus spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:29-36)
“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” (Revela
Report Post »DefectiveByDesign
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 11:14amhttp://onthinktanks.org/2011/09/15/when-influence-can-be-a-bad-thing-think-tanks-are-crushing-our-democracy/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/2011/09/the_curse_of_tina.html
http://armchairgeneralist.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/12/the-curse-of-think-tanks.html
What are think tanks? Are they all legit organizations? No.
Report Post »Think Tanks are corporate brainwashing institutions that brainstorm new ways to invade foreign countries and PSYOP the American Public into buying it. Why should any of us care who hacks them? If anything, we should applaud Anonymous for bringing light onto the darkness. Think tanks are highly secretive, not open to the public, and have no accountability.I won’t defend that.
The-Monk
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 12:25pm@DefectiveByDesign
“Think tanks are highly secretive, not open to the public…”
Stratfor is not secretive. I receive their e-mail newsletter for free. I have found some very interesting and informative information there. Maybe they don’t fall into your definition of “think tanks”?
Report Post »TexOkie
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 6:38pmOrganizations like Stratfor are not breaking any laws and therefore have every right to pursue their goals and objectives. The fact that you do not like what you perceive that they are doing is irrelevent to the crime that Anonymous has committed. Anonymous is violating the property rights of Stratfor and those who are it’s members. These people need to be hunted down and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. If I had my way they would never see the light of day again.
If you are not in favor of the freedoms and liberties that are derived from the rights to property, many would be glad to come over to your house and take whatever they like. In the extreme that could also include your right to life. How do you feel about that?
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 11:06amI get their e-mail newsleter, This is what they sent me yesterday;
Dear Stratfor Member,
We have learned that Stratfor’s web site was hacked by an unauthorized party. As a result of this incident the operation of Stratfor’s servers and email have been suspended.
We have reason to believe that the names of our corporate subscribers have been posed on other web sites. We are diligently investigating the extent to which subscriber information may have been obtained.
Stratfor and I take this incident very seriously. Stratfor’s relationship with its members and, in particular, the confidentiality of their subscriber information, are very important to Stratfor and me. We are working closely with law enforcement in their investigation and will assist them with the identification of the individual(s) who are responsible.
Although we are still learning more and the law enforcement investigation is active and ongoing, we wanted to provide you with notice of this incident as quickly as possible. We will keep you updated regarding these matters.
Sincerely,
George Friedman
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 11:14amThis morning (3 AM) I received a junk e-mail on that same e-mail account;
FROM: PC Service News SUBJECT: Remove errors that maybe harmful to your PC
The e-mail had a link to, “Click here to have your PC running like new”.
No, I did not click on the link and it might be this hacker group sending e-mails to Strattor subscribers to gain access to their PC’s.
Beware if you get an e-mail like this.
Report Post »Alky
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 11:01amCoulda swore they were the bunch that was going to hack the stock market and bring it down a couple of months ago… didn’t happen. I think they’re just a bunch of wannabe glory seekers!
Report Post »Sapience
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:53am“I think why me? I am not rich.” -
Because you have something they want. Looks like someone has bought into the evil rich nonsense.
Report Post »ICanComment
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 10:04pmThere are no rules here. It’s hypocrisy – the rule of “right by might,” which it would seem Anonymous would abhor. Yet, because they perceive they have the means to attack those with whom they disagree, they have the right to attack them. “Oh, but we don’t just disagree with them,” they say. “They’re wrong, and we’re not.” By what standard? The one they made up?
When there are no rules, when the law is the law of “pirates and robin hood,” anything goes, and soon those whom you believe are your friends turn on you. Everyone gets hurt, because everyone has something that everyone else wants.
So yes, Anonymous, cheer because you’re hurting your “enemies.” How soon long will it be before that enemy is you? It has already begun. With no point of reference, no right or wrong, it’s simply survival of the fittest.
Be careful what you wish for.
Report Post »searching for the Truth
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:40amThey‘ll just take internet privileges away guy’s – so, please stop it before you get caught.
Report Post »Hugh Williams
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:38amBack in the old west horses were so vital to life. Horse thieves were hung. In modern time computers and the ability to conduct business on the internet has become just as vital. Call me harsh but if we caught these little creeps, gave them a swift trial and if they are convicted they are taken straight from the court room and hung in the town square. And this televised worldwide this crap will stop very quickly. I have no tolerance for petty thieves and criminals.
Report Post »madmike59
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 11:02amFirst you would need a AG who is willing to follow the laws. Good Luck with that one.
Report Post »BootsAreWalkin
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 3:47pmBoy, is Mike right about that one. DOJ is run by the Muppets; they couldn’t find apples in a pie.
And Hugh is right too. Texas still has the death penalty for fence cutting and horse stealing as best I recall (really). It’s about the same thing as hacking.
Anon, you piss off enough of the black bag companies, and one day Bloomberg’s finest will be fishing you out of the Hudson with two .22′s in the back of the head.
Report Post »Cavallo
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 12:19pmThey might sooner or later go after the wrong individuals who have the resources and talent to hunt them. I hear the Mexican Mafia is already looking for them. There are organizations out there that won’t just crash your computer, or steal money from your bank account but will put your family in oil drums and set them on fire. There is real evil in the world and it isn’t just elitist think tanks.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:29amI can’t help but believe that these people-person, whatever, are the most hatefull creatures in the world. They absolutly have no thought for the hurt and problems they cause. There will be an accounting, and they will be very sorry. What we sow-we reap.
Report Post »IndyfromCa
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:22amwhere is the outrage? send them to Gitmo
Report Post »DefectiveByDesign
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:37amSend YOU to Gitmo. We have laws for a reason, ignoring them opens up a portal to HELL that will be unleashed on the general population.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:39amAm sure Holder and his president would have objections ! Think the current administration welcomes the chaos these hackers bring to the table. Just like the administration “ feels the pain” of the anarchists at the Occupies. Never before had an administration that seems to work AGAINST the best interests of the country while protecting the “rights” of law breakers…NO – BAMA 2012.
Report Post »Charles
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:44amCatch them try them send them to Gitmo. Or better yet hang them. These are all attacks targeting the USA either directly or indirectly. obama no doubt secretly supports them since they are damaging the country he hates and wants turned upside down.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:16amI think that cyber attacks should be considered the new “Treason” crime and punished according to the old standards .
Report Post »DefectiveByDesign
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:38amTreason isn’t a crime anymore. Libya was treason, healthcare was treason, the bailouts was treason.
Report Post »Where’s the justice? The gov is the criminals.
barber2
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 2:40pmDEFECTIVE: Sadly, I agree with you. Thank God the military has Manning. Can only imagine what the Holder DOJ would have done. Holder seems more concerned with the “rights” of law breakers than with the law abiding. Might have much to do with his racism.
Report Post »taxpro4u03
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:30amNikola Telsa TRIED to tell ‘em. This electro-magnetic stuff is WAY KEWEL (is used properly, for the common good) but it will bite you in the BUTT if mistreated. Think of it like your ‘trash.’ – Once you set it on the curb, it’s PUBLIC DOMAIN. The private sector created it…. the private sector OWNS it. Intellectual Property is intangible – despite ‘rights.‘ This is what befalls society when we are broken down into a series of 1’s and 0′s… Letters and #’s are digitally manipulated psyops to APPEAR to be something they are not. HUMAN. Computers do not ‘yet’ have the ability reason. It appears many humans have lost that God-given ability as well, in pursuit of the almighty dollar.
Report Post »FreedomPurveyor
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:26amKids who have graduated from defacing websites to petty theft.
Meanwhile, the ChiComs are stealing sensitive military secrets and practicing at causing mass black outs.
Report Post »ZomBrad
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:22amidk what these people think they’re doing, but they’re gonna ruin the internetz for everyone :(
Report Post »SHIPMONEY100TRILLION
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:05amPull the mask mans pants down it could be Obama.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:21amThink his mentors taught him that “social justice” crapolla which is just a Big Lie, twisted term for old-fashioned hate and revenge !
Report Post »RisetovotesiR
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 5:17amyou may need lithium, talk to a shrink?
Report Post »SHIPMONEY100TRILLION
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:04amTime over for this demon.
Report Post »SHIPMONEY100TRILLION
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:04amDeath to the mask demon.
Report Post »SHIPMONEY100TRILLION
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:03amKill it.
Report Post »kevin
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:03amyou would think they would hack all the folks being sued by neil keenan in his lawsuit filed 11/23 /11 a trillion dollar lawsuit the complaint reads like a novel you cant make this stuff up
Report Post »Plan B
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 10:30amKevin
I was intrigued by your post. I have no idea who Neil Keegan is? Enlighten me.
Report Post »SHIPMONEY100TRILLION
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:03amCan we just kill this dangerouse masked demon by putting a bounty on its head? Would that not be the correct thing to do? Just a thought.
Report Post »Free2speakRN
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:59amThe wrong people are running things. Top down.
Report Post »Dumb_White_Guy
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:56amStrange…there was no “anonymous” until Barack Hussein Obama was elected president.
Report Post »ZomBrad
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:21amActually there was, only they mainly stayed doing trolling, griefing (ruining people’s time on online video games), and hacking websites……….all for the “lulz”
Report Post »barber2
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:18amThink they are all part of the black-hoodie, face masked, sneaky anarchists who form the basis of the international Left Occupies. Smart – aleck, dysfunctional, hate-filled delinquents who love to hate and destroy but have no real goal beyond that fun !
Report Post »APPAULED
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 3:39pmStop living up to your User ID “DUMB_WHITE_GUY! It is ridiculous that people like you seek any and all opportunities to blame anything and everything on our President. I guess you can not see that it is the Republican Party that wants to take away your individual liberties. They would rather tax you to death, have your family starve and die from disease because you have no health care than to let the tax breaks for the huge corporations expire. These companies are raking in billions in profits while sending our jobs overseas. Do they need the tax break? We are not against capitalism, we are against capitalism gone awry. We don’t hate the rich. The rich were given tax breaks that they didnt want or need. It is not their fault. We would all take a tax break so we should not fault them for it. We can fault them for taking handouts and incentives to start and grow their businesses, and then turning their back on their own country and its citizens by shipping their jobs overseas. If taxs and regulations hurt them so bad then why are they raking in profits greater than they have ever been? .It is the seeking of more and more and more profit by some with total disregard for the country or people that made them rich to start with.. Yes they do have a right to do what they want BUT our country used to have a code of ethics and feeling of moral responsibility that have long been abandoned. Still certain politicians want to take away any protections put in place to protect worker
Report Post »lynnissmart
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:55amWell we certainly have taken good security measures….haven’t we? I hope the creature called “anamous” gets what it deserves……getting caught!!! or is the Justice Department too busy suing states?
Report Post »HKS
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:52amFrom what I see at TSA, maybe we can’t loose much.
Report Post »