In a security breach, Islamic State militants have reportedly hacked
tens of thousands of Twitter accounts and posted phone numbers of CIA
and FBI chiefs online as revenge for killing of a top hacker of the
terror group.
Details of more than 54,000 Twitter accounts,
including passwords, were published last week in what experts have
described as a dangerous escalation of global cyber war. The group
calling itself 'Cyber Caliphate', set up by Isis member Junaid Hussain,
encouraged its followers to seize control of the accounts and use them
to spread Islamic State of Iraq and Syria propaganda, the Daily Express
reported.
Victims were forced to defencelessly watch as Isis
rhetoric appeared under their names. The jihadists also posted personal
details on the social media platform - including mobile phone numbers
of the heads of the CIA, FBI and America's National Security Agency
(NSA), the report said.
Most of those affected are based in Saudi Arabia, but some are feared to be British.
One
victim, a half-British engineer based in Saudi Arabia, was quoted as
saying, "I am horrified at how they got hold of my details."
Hussain,
from Birmingham, steered the computer hacking division for the terror
group before he was killed in August by a US drone carrying out a joint
operation with Britain.
Since the extremist's death the hacking
group - which briefly hacked a Pentagon Twitter account earlier this
year - appeared to keep a low profile.
But after spending months reportedly gathering data, it reappeared on Twitter last Sunday declaring, "We are back."
The group also taunted the West before tweeting a link to the database of stolen Twitter accounts.
"We
need years to publish what we have. We will raise our flag in the heart
of Europe," the group was quoted as saying. The account was quickly
suspended by Twitter.
Download the Gadgets 360 app for Android and iOS to stay up to date with the latest tech news, product
reviews, and exclusive deals on the popular mobiles.
No comments:
Post a Comment