ISIS hacks U.S. military social media accounts

Twitter and YouTube accounts operated by the United States Military Central Command were hacked by the terrorist group known as ISIS on Monday. Before the Command could shut down those accounts, the hackers posted threatening messages, propaganda videos, and allegedly confidential military documents. Though the Command has stated the documents posted were already available online, the hack is embarrassing and leaves the Command with a black eye.

At approximately 12:30 p.m. on Monday, the background and profile photo of the Command’s Twitter account were changed to depict what appears to be a militant with pro-ISIS propaganda. The Centcom YouTube page featured two Islamic State propaganda videos and tweets sent from the Command’s account were inflammatory and provided a URL presumably to a confidential document to which ISIS claims it gained access.

Analysts opine that hacking social media accounts does not mean ISIS has the ability to hack military classified computer networks. Nonetheless, the White House recognizes that this hack represents a serious issue. Indeed, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest stated “This is something we are obviously looking into and something we take seriously.”

Be Prepared

Even if this hack is nothing more than an embarrassment to the Central Command, it demonstrates that cybersecurity is a universal issue. There is much incentive and motivation in Washington to pass laws to guard against cybersecurity attacks. Several government agencies have spoken on the issue and have provided a framework that likely will transcend into law. Taking proactive measures prior to new laws taking effect is imperative to protect you and your company to ensure you have the time to fully consider and address your cybersecurity needs.

For more information, please contact one of the attorneys listed below.