Hackers let 1.6 million account details loose

A group of hackers naming themselves Team GhostShell claim to have released 1.6 million accounts and records of 37 companies.

Among the agencies claimed to have been hit by the hack are Interpol, the European Space Agency and NASA, and several aerospace equipment manufacturers and US department of defence contractors.

The United States Credit Union National Association (CUNA) also acknowledged that its website had been compromised, but chief executive Bill Cheney said it did "not believe any sensitive personal information from our website was accessed",

He said that CUNA does not store any individual information of its members on the site.

Cheney said the information on the association's website that was hacked was user ID information such as e-mail addresses, phone numbers, titles and business addresses, as well as some encrypted password information from more than five years ago.

Multiple links to mirror sites holding archives of the accounts and records are posted on Pastebin, together with a lengthy political statement and explanation of the actions by the group.

The hackers say the leak is part of "#ProjectWhiteFox" and concludes what they say is "this year's series of attacks by promoting hacktivism worldwide and drawing attention to the freedom of information on the net."

The group said it has contacted organisations allegedly affected by the hack, including NASA.

Team GhostShell has been credited for several successful attacks this year, including one last month that saw 2.5 million Russian accounts and records released, to protest against oppressive government polices in that country.