Anonymous Releases 90,000 Military E-Mail Accounts

jjp9999 writes "Anonymous Operations posted 90,000 military email addresses and passwords to the Pirate Bay on July 11, in what they're calling 'Military Meltdown Monday.' They obtained the emails while hacking government contracting and consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton. They hinted at other information obtained during the breach, which they describe as 'maps and keys for various other treasure chests buried on the islands of government agencies, federal contractors and shady whitehat companies.' The breach comes just days after Anonymous hacked government contractor IRC Federal. Both breaches are linked to the new AntiSec movement, which LulzSec joined forces with shortly before disbanding."

Comments

Yeh

[sortius_nod]

I don't think I'll be grabbing that torrent...

Re:Yeh

[Anonymous Coward]

Quite simply, the fact that this is happening indicates that the impacted are not capable of defending our freedoms or anything else according to modern realities of engagement. We may wish it were otherwise, but it is not. I'm sorry.

Re:Yeh

[erroneus]

I'm pretty sure there is some sort of law against knowingly acquiring sensitive information. Worse still, to get it on a torrent means you have to share it too so you are also sharing sensitive information.

I don't get it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Anonymous has an agenda. That's fine. Originally they were after Scientology. If they've shifted focus, I have no problem with that. If they're trying to become another Wikileaks and expose government wrongdoing, that also makes sense.

What I don't understand is the wholesale posting of email addresses and passwords. What are they trying to accomplish? Military or not, these are email addresses of real people. This is no longer a crusade against "bad guys" whoever they may be, or even against bad activities. This is now a crusade against privacy. You know, the concept that keeps Anonymous, well, anonymous.

If we use exactly the same standard that they use to judge what should be public information, then the names, email addresses, and passwords of everyone who calls himself/herself Anonymous should be public as well.

Re:I don't get it.

[afabbro]

Anonymous has an agenda. That's fine.

It's the same agenda a 3-year-old has: "look at me! look at me!"

Not sure I see the point of this.

[cvtan]

How does releasing email addresses and passwords aid the fight for good and thwart evildoers? They should go back to the Scientology thing.

Re:Not sure I see the point of this.

[Mashiki]

Didn't you hear? The US is and in turn US army is full of evil. I mean just skip Iran murdering gay's, or the years of things going on in Sudan with religious persecution. Or the pakistan military being so corrupt that they've been infiltrated by terrorists. It's the US that's evil.

Re:Not sure I see the point of this.

[andb52]

The obvious logical fallacy with your statement is that, just because other regimes may be evil and corrupt, it does not mean that the US is not.

Re:Not sure I see the point of this.

[blackraven14250]

The US has had, and will have, bad presidents who muck around in shit they shouldn't be. That doesn't make the US an evil regime; it makes the people idiots for electing people willing to get us into sticky situations.

Re:Not sure I see the point of this.

[TubeSteak]

How does releasing email addresses and passwords aid the fight for good and thwart evildoers?

If LulzSec/Anonymous can do it, so can our enemies and allies.

The fact that these guys are so prolific and haven't been caught yet, strongly implies that others have done the same thing.
And probably gotten away with it because they didn't announce it to the world.

The fact is, this will go on for as long as LulzSec/Anonymous feels like doing it.
Between government agencies and contractors, there's just too much low hanging fruit.

BUT, all things being equal, I'd rather it was blackhats humiliating us in public instead of China silently doing it for economic gain or espionage.

Re:Not sure when this is going to end..

[Anonymous Coward]

Not sure when this is going to end.

You don't? I'll be glad to tell you.

Maybe Operating Systems needs to be redesigned with built in security.

Wait, it sounds to me like you do know. Just remember that "security" in this case doesn't mean "security from outside attackers" it means "security from users."

This is going to end with iOS. Programmers will be required to license their compiler and IDE from official government sources and only be allowed to enter code into "secure" disconnected computers. You will only be allowed to run programs that have been signed off by the Government, and you will have to provide your Government Internet License on demand.

Think I'm just paranoid? Remember, this is only the end state. We've got quite a few steps to make it there. But with things like iOS, and Sony being allowed to remove OtherOS without penalty, we can already see we're walking down that path.

And when you read stories like "Ex-NSA Chief Supports Separate Secure Internet," you know where we're headed:

Expect more and more invasive laws and less and less anonymity. You will be required to give up your liberty in exchange for security, friend consumer.

Re:Conspiracies...

[atriusofbricia]

This is what happens when a government oppresses its people for too long -- anarchy. Obama wants people to believe he can control the Internet, but he can't. "The more you tighten your grasp, Tarkan, the more the galaxies slip through your fingers."

Er... what oppression are you referring to? Or is this another case of someone who has little idea what real oppression is like trying to say that he US is sooooo evil and oppressive because... oh.. I don't know.. something or other.. Not saying it is perfect and hasn't gotten less free over time.. just saying that if you think living in the US is living under oppression then you don't know what oppression really is.

Re:holy crap!!

[Opportunist]

Hmm... odd, I live in a country not too different from what you describe. We have "free" health care (read: I pay for it with my taxes), we have one of the lowest crime rates in the western world, unemployment is manageable (and you can actually survive on your unemployment aid), I am looking at 4 weeks of paid vacation (mandatory, not 'cause I am so incredibly qualified that I can afford asking for it), 2 extra salaries per year (mandatory again), my retirement is taken care for (again, taxes)... yet I do not pay 120% taxes or can't get any goods in our stores because nobody wants to produce or sell anything here. Odd, ain't it?

And know what? While the economy crisis did hit my country too, it didn't hit it by any kind of margin as hard as it did hit the US or other countries that subscribed to the ideal of "letting the market sort crap out". Why? Because people here actually do have money to buy crap. More to the point, to buy services. And since my country, like most of the "civilized" world, depend heavily on services for its GDP, our economy is still fairly stable. Services is the first thing people cut back when money is tight. A haircut? Put that off another few weeks. Fix the plumbing? Hell, let that faucet drip. Go out for dinner or the pub? Rather cook at home or watch the game with friends in your living room. That's what crippled the economy in most other countries, because people lack the MONEY to buy those services. You cannot cut back on food. You have to eat. You cannot cut back on your rent, you have to squat somewhere. But you can cut back on "vanity" like haircuts, repairs or a night on the town. We didn't have to. We still got money in the pockets of our working class people.

So please, keep your perfect system. I like the US, the dollar's weaker than a chocolate coin in the hot summer sun and that means I get to buy cheap electronics with my, despite all odds, fairly stable currency.