Centcom Twitter Account Hacked Supposedly By ISIS Supporters

The U.S. Centcom Twitter account was hacked by a group claiming to support ISIS on Monday afternoon. The U.S. Central Command’s YouTube account was also hacked.

“We can confirm that the CENTCOM Twitter and YouTube accounts were compromised earlier today. We are taking appropriate measures to address the matter,” Central Command said in a statement.

The accounts oversee operations in the Middle East. After the hack, defense officials confirmed the accounts were suspended.

On the Twitter account, unusual tweets were published with apparent warnings from the Islamic State.

The first tweet was posted at 12:30 p.m. It said, “AMERICAN SOLDIERS, WE ARE COMING, WATCH YOUR BACK. ISIS.”

The account’s profile picture became a black-and-white image of someone wearing a Keffiyeh around his/her head.

Other unusual links, images, and Pentagon documents that reveal contact information for members of the military were published as well. The group of hackers claimed to have acquired and released classified documents, though defense officials said the documents released so far were not labelled as classified.

Central Command’s YouTube page contained ISIS propaganda videos depicting fights during the hack.

The Centcom Twitter account was hacked around the time President Barack Obama was giving a speech on cybersecurity. The president said breaches like the hack against Sony Pictures Entertainment reminded the U.S. of the “enormous vulnerabilities for us as a nation and for our economy.”

Even so, the Defense Department “views this as little more than a prank, or as vandalism,” according to Pentagon spokesman Army Colonel Steve Warren.

Warren elaborated, “It’s inconvenient, it’s an annoyance, but in no way is any sensitive or classified information compromised.”

ISIS has taken control of parts of Syria and Iraq. U.S. and international allies have been targeting the terrorist group with ongoing air strikes.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is helping defense officials determine who is responsible for the hack.

Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the administration was looking into how the Centcom Twitter account was hacked, though officials have no further information.

Centcom Twitter Account Hacked Supposedly By ISIS Supporters