American News Sites Hit by Pro-ISIS Hackers

A series of news organizations, including a local newspaper in New Mexico and a Maryland-based TV station, were hacked by Cyber Caliphate, an alleged ISIS-affiliated group, according to media reports. The FBI is investigating.

“You’ll see no mercy infidels. We are already here, we are in your PCs, in each house, in each office,” Cyber Caliphate wrote on their Facebook page, which was taken down shortly after. “With Allah’s permission we began with New-Mexico and will come to every state, inshallah. We won’t stop”¦ We know all your personal data: where you live, what you eat, your diseases, and even your health insurance cards.”

The hackers apparently infiltrated the social media accounts of the Albuquerque Journal and WBOC 16 in Maryland. They used WBOC`s Twitter account to post confidential documents such as employees` driver’s licenses, corrections records and spreadsheets with names and addresses.

The hacker group also impersonated a WBOC reporter and posted a link with stolen confidential information on PasteBin.

“WBOC has since taken back control of WBOC.com and removed the pro-ISIS propaganda but the WBOC Twitter page remains compromised,” the station said in a message on its site. “WBOC has reached out to Twitter to resolve this issue. Law enforcement agencies have also been contacted to investigate the matter.”

In a Tweet, the Cyber Caliphate claimed it hacked the databases of the FBI, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation has not commented.

It is not clear why hackers chose these specific media outlets, yet, though the religious motivations and the media targets recall this week`s Islamist attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris.