CENTCOM Social Media Accounts Hacked by Apparent ISIS Supporters
A major embarrassment for the Pentagon today, as apparent ISIS supporters took over the YouTube and Twitter accounts of CENTCOM.
A group describing themselves as the “CyberCaliphate” apparently gained control of the official Twitter and YouTube pages of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Monday and began posting messages supportive of the jihadist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS).
The hack occurred at the same time as President Barack Obama was giving a speech on cybersecurity at the offices of the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C.
On Twitter, the group posted a message that declared “Pentagon networks hacked” where they indicated they broke into military “networks and personal devices.” In the message the “CyberCaliphate” identified themselves as being “under the auspices of ISIS.” They also included links to what they described as leaked military files. They then began posting screenshots they described as “China scenarios.”
The @CENTCOM accounts on Twitter and YouTube are now suspended.
In its latest statement on the hack, CENTCOM says they are viewing it “purely as a case of cybervandalism.” pic.twitter.com/N0AH4OXpS1
— Hunter Walker (@hunterw) January 12, 2015