Cyber Incident Victim: Albuquerque Journal
Date:
Jan 2015
Location:
United States of America
Summary
Hackers claiming affiliation with ISIS, operating under the name "CyberCaliphate," compromised the Twitter accounts of a Delmarva television station and the Albuquerque Journal, posting sensitive information including alleged FBI database breaches, personal details, sealed criminal records, and government documents from Stewart County, Tennessee. The attackers accessed the media outlet's systems via compromised employee credentials and infiltrated Stewart County's servers, leaking driver's licenses, corrections records, spreadsheets with personal data, federal bulletins, contracts, and court documents through platforms like PasteBin. The FBI initiated an investigation into the incidents, with both affected organizations confirming unauthorized access but ruling out internal disgruntlement as a motive.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 2 motives | 3 techniques |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On January 6, 2015, hackers identifying as the "CyberCaliphate" and claiming ISIS affiliation compromised the Twitter accounts of CBS affiliate WBOC-TV in Delmarva and the Albuquerque Journal newspaper. The attackers began posting militant messages at noon Eastern Time, asserting they had infiltrated FBI databases across multiple states, including New Mexico and Tennessee. WBOC’s general manager Craig Jahelka confirmed the breach extended beyond Twitter to the station’s website, though control of WBOC.com was regained promptly. The hackers accessed WBOC’s systems by obtaining login credentials from a news department employee, then leveraged those to compromise two additional staff accounts. Jahelka ruled out involvement by current or former disgruntled employees and expressed confusion over why the station—a mid-market CBS/Fox affiliate—was targeted among 1,200 major network affiliates. Simultaneously, the Albuquerque Journal’s Twitter account disseminated highly sensitive personal data, including driver’s licenses, sealed criminal records, addresses, and phone numbers of hundreds of New Mexico residents. The hackers claimed this information was stolen directly from citizens’ computers.
The attackers posted stolen documents to PasteBin, including federal bulletins on managing Ferguson-related protests, government contracts, court records, and correspondence from Stewart County, Tennessee. Stewart County Mayor Rick Joiner verified the authenticity of these documents, confirming they were exfiltrated from the county’s supposedly secure servers administered by a third-party contractor. WBOC’s Twitter feed also contained links to these documents alongside threats like "INFIDELS, NEW YEAR WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER." The Albuquerque Journal’s breach exposed spreadsheets containing hundreds of names with full personal identifiers, though the specific method of data extraction from New Mexico systems remained unconfirmed. The FBI initiated an investigation into both incidents, though no public statements or confirmations were provided by the bureau at the time of reporting. No staffing changes or local connections to the attacks were identified by WBOC leadership, leaving the motivation and full scope of the breaches unresolved.