WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) — It appears the official Twitter account for the U.S. Central Command has been hacked.
Hackers known as Cyber Caliphate – who pledge allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria – took over the CENTCOM Twitter account Monday afternoon. The hackers changed CENTCOM’s Twitter avatar and cover photo to a hooded man clad in black with the words “I love you ISIS.”
CENTCOM has currently suspended its Twitter account following the hack.
Cyber Caliphate posted a message to Paste Bin telling American soldiers that ISIS is coming for them.
“AMERICAN SOLDIERS, WE ARE COMING, WATCH YOUR BACK. ISIS. CyberCaliphate
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, the CyberCaliphate under the auspices of ISIS continues its CyberJihad. While the US and its satellites kill our brothers in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan we broke into your networks and personal devices and know everything about you. You’ll see no mercy infidels. ISIS is already here, we are in your PCs, in each military base. With Allah’s permission we are in CENTCOM now. We won’t stop! We know everything about you, your wives and children. U.S. solders! We’re watching you!
There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet! There is no law but Sharia!”
The hackers released contact information for commanding officers and the addresses of American soldiers. They also released information related to China and Korean scenarios.
It appears the group was able to hack into CENTOM’s YouTube page, posting several ISIS propaganda videos.
A Pentagon official told Reuters that “CENTCOM is taking appropriate measure to address the matter.”
The group also took credit for hacking the Twitter accounts of Maryland television station WBOC-TV and The Albuquerque Journal last week.
It’s unclear whether the hackers are genuine members or even supporters of the Islamic State group. Tech-savvy pranksters routinely make bogus claims or falsify their allegiances in bids to get attention.
FBI spokesman Frank Fisher confirmed last week that the agency was looking into the New Mexico case. An FBI spokesman didn’t immediately return a request for comment about whether the Maryland cyberattack was under investigation, though the station said in its news report Tuesday that it was speaking to the agency.
Also in the report, WBOC cited the FBI as saying “similar attacks have been quietly happening to media companies across the United States.”