Cyber Incident Victim: U.S. Army Forces Command
Date:
Oct 2020
Location:
United States of America
Summary
A U.S. military base's official Twitter account was compromised, leading to unauthorized posts containing sexually explicit content and lewd replies to another user's tweets. The hacker engaged in inappropriate interactions, prompting public confusion and criticism before the account was temporarily deleted. The commanding unit confirmed the breach, secured the account by resetting passwords and authentication processes, and initiated an investigation while apologizing to followers.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On October 21, 2020, at approximately 4:30 PM Eastern Time, the official Twitter account of Fort Bragg (@FtBraggNC) was compromised by an unauthorized actor. The hacker posted multiple sexually explicit replies to tweets from user @Quinnfinite10, who had shared adult-oriented content related to her OnlyFans page. One reply defended @Quinnfinite10's display of body hair, mocking a critic by stating, "He's lost and doesn't know a good thing when it's staring him in the eyes or tickling his nose in this case." Another reply to a topless photo read, "My face's, then my boner's and then my face's again before I come up to give you a deep long kiss." Public reactions included a user sarcastically remarking, "Doesn't surprise me that military bases out here advocating for pro Bush stances." The account was abruptly deleted shortly after the tweets were posted.
The 18th Airborne Corps, which oversees Fort Bragg, confirmed the breach via its Twitter account, stating the explicit tweets were "not the work of our admins" and that the account had been hacked. Fort Bragg spokesperson Tom McCollum disclosed that the Army Criminal Investigation Division initiated an investigation. Immediate containment measures included deleting the offensive tweets, resetting the account password, and reconfiguring two-factor authentication. McCollum publicly apologized to followers but acknowledged uncertainty regarding the breach's origin. No further details about the attacker's identity, methods, or broader impacts on military systems were disclosed in the available reporting. The incident temporarily disrupted the base's official communications and drew public attention to vulnerabilities in institutional social media management.