NATO

 investigates Anonymous hacking claims

 

NATO is investigating claims that its computer network has been infiltrated and confidential documents published online by the hacking collective Anonymous. 

 

The claims were made this afternoon via AnonymousIRC, a Twitter account used by the collective.

“Yes, NATO was breached. And we have lots of restricted material. With some simple injection. In the next days, wait for interesting data,” it said.

“We are sitting on about one gigabyte of data from NATO now, most of which we cannot publish as it would be irresponsible. But Oh NATO....”

The first, dated 2007 and marked “NATO Restricted”, purports to be a working paper on communication systems at the Joint Communications Control Centre for ISAF forces in Afganistan. It includes detailed procurement estimates and technical information.

The second document, dated 2008 and also marked “NATO Restricted”, covers proposals for outsourcing communications systems for NATO forces in Kosovo. A third document set out security ground rules for NATO but was dated 2002/

A Nato spokesman said the organisation was investigating Anonymous’ claims.

“NATO is aware that a hackers group has released what it claims to be NATO classified documents on the internet,” he said.

“NATO security experts are investigating these claims. We strongly condemn any leak of classified documents, which can potentially endanger the security of NATO Allies, armed forces and citizens.”

Security experts predicted the fallout from the releases would be limited, if the group had managed to harvest documents with a restricted classification.

“Restricted is the lowest level of document classification in Nato and it should only be a bit embarrassing but these anti-establishing groups targeting NATO, because of Iraq and the length of the war in Afghanistan, will see it as a victory anyway,” said Elizabeth Quintana, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a Whitehall think tank.

The long term threat posed by hundreds of hacking attempts on official sites every day has alarmed policy makers.

The Anonymous action follows a report for NATO by Lord Jopling, published in June, which suggested the hackers were a threat to society and would be caught.

“Today, the ad hoc international group of hackers and activists is said to have thousands of operatives and has no set rules or membership,” said the report.

“It remains to be seen how much time Anonymous has for pursuing such paths. The longer these attacks persist the more likely countermeasures will be developed, implemented, the groups will be infiltrated and perpetrators persecuted.”

At the time Anonymous warned Nato not to “make the mistake of challenging Anonymous”.

“Do not make the mistake of believing you can behead a headless snake,” it said.

An international police investigation of Anonymous, and the splinter group LulzSec, has so far resulted in more than 60 arrests in Britain, the United States, the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey.

The hackers have attacked websites including those of the CIA and SOCA, and infiltrated networks belonging to Sony, security companies and the broadcaster Fox. Earlier this week LulzSec hacked into The Sun newspaper website and published a fake news story claiming Rupert Murdoch had died of metal poisoning.

On Tuesday more than 20 suspects were detained in international raids targeting Anonymous, including a 16-year-old boy from south London. 

 

o