NATO reacts to AntiSec release - investigation underway

by Steve Ragan - Jun 27 2011, 09:30

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is investigating a security breach that led to the public release of first and last names, usernames, and passwords for more than 11,000 registered users of their e-Bookshop.

The data was leaked as part of AntiSec, a movement that includes Anonymous and LulzSec, as well as other hacking groups and individuals. The aim of AntiSec is to expose personal, sensitive, and restricted information to the world, using any means necessary. The NATO data, which could have been taken at any time, found its way into the final release from LulzSec.

“Police dealing with digital crimes have notified NATO of a probable data breach from a NATO-related website operated by an external company. NATO’s e-Bookshop is a separate service for the public for the release of NATO information and does not contain any classified data. Access to the site has been blocked and subscribers have been notified,” a NATO statement said.

It is unknown who managed the portal for NATO, or what method was used to extract the data. The fact that NATO was hit is interesting however, as Anonymous has had some problems with them in the past.

In May, a NATO report, authored by Lord Joplin, the general rapporteur, said that Anonymous was a risk to member nations, due to the fact that they have “thousands of operatives” and that their brand of protest has proven that they’re willing to expose government secrets. To back that claim, NATO pointed to HBGary Federal.

In response to the NATO report, Anonymous released a statement, reminding NATO that the government and the people are, “contrary to the supposed foundations of ‘democracy’, distinct entities with often conflicting goals and desires.”

“It is Anonymous' position that when there is a conflict of interest between the government and the people, it is the people's will which must take priority…You know you do not fear us because we are a threat to society. You fear us because we are a threat to the established hierarchy.”

“Your own report cites a perfect example of this, the Anonymous attack on HBGary. Whether HBGary were acting in the cause of security or military gain is irrelevant - their actions were illegal and morally reprehensible. Anonymous does not accept that the government and/or the military has the right to be above the law and to use the phoney cliche of ‘national security’ to justify illegal and deceptive activities.”

In all, the leaked NATO list contains 11,524 records. Many of the passwords are less than eight characters, and rather weak.

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