Classified military information of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is being sold online by hackers, reports the BBC. The data was reportedly stolen from a European weapons manufacturer MBDA, although the hackers did not confirm whether it had been extracted from any other source. MBDA has admitted to the breach, adding that while its data is in leaked documents, the classified files do not belong to it. The data was stolen from a ‘compromised external hard drive’, claims the company. Leaked information, which the BBC could not independently verify, includes a 2020 ‘communications intelligence’ mission carried out in Estonia by a US air squadron, as well as the name, number, call logs, and GPS coordinates of the person 'at the centre of the operation'. A presentation on the mechanics of a Land Ceptor Common Anti-Air Modular Missile is also included—the Missile was sent to Poland to be used in the ongoing Ukraine war. Currently being sold by hackers on Russian and English fora, the going rate for 80GB of data is 15 Bitcoins (valued at around £273,000). The hackers claimed to have already sold the information to an unknown buyer. The military alliance is reportedly evaluating the impact of the data breach, although a NATO spokesperson informed the BBC that there is ‘no indication that any Nato network has been compromised’. Why it matters: Compromised defence systems can impact the lives of millions of people caught in the throes of military operations. Strengthening cybersecurity policies and protocols for the wings…
