Airmen on ISIS “Hacking” List Notified

All of the airmen whose names, email addresses, and alleged passwords were posted online Aug. 12 in a hacking incident purportedly connected to ISIS have been notified, Maj. Melissa Milner, an Air Force spokeswoman, told Air Force Magazine Aug. 17. Members of ISIS’ “hacking division” claimed to have recovered the information by breaking into US military computer systems, according to various media reports, posting the list of names and other information online (other agencies impacted included the US State Department, the Marine Corps and the Federal Bureau of Investigation). In a briefing last week, however, outgoing Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno told reporters at the Pentagon that the list was not obtained “by any cyber attack.” Milner agreed, saying no databases have been breached. Still, she said, protecting airmen is the Air Force’s “No. 1 priority.” Two days after the list was posted, AFCENT officials issued a statement to airmen and the public to urge them to keep operational information off of social media. “It’s vital to check your security settings in your social media accounts to make sure that just your friends are able to see what you post and remember to be smart about what you post and share,” said Capt. Jonathan McDonald, AFCENT force protection chief.