Email addresses and passwords allegedly from NIH, WHO and Gates Foundation, are dumped online

[ansible]

Anonymous activists have posted nearly 25,000 email addresses and passwords allegedly belonging to the National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, the Gates Foundation and other groups working to combat the coronavirus pandemic, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors online extremism and terrorist groups.

While SITE was unable to verify whether the email addresses and passwords were authentic, the group said the information was released on Sunday and Monday and almost immediately used to foment attempts at hacking and harassment by far-right extremists. An Australian cybersecurity expert, Robert Potter, said he was able to verify that the WHO email addresses and passwords were real.

The lists, whose origins are unclear, first appear to have been posted to 4chan, a message board notorious for its hateful and extreme political commentary, and later to Pastebin, a text storage site, Twitter and to far-right extremist channels on Telegram, a messaging app.

“Neo-Nazis and white supremacists capitalized on the lists and published them aggressively across their venues,” said Rita Katz, SITE’s executive director. “Using the data, far-right extremists were calling for a harassment campaign while sharing conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic. The distribution of these alleged email credentials were just another part of a months-long initiative across the far right to weaponize the covid-19 pandemic.”

The report by SITE, based in Bethesda, Maryland, said the largest group of alleged emails and passwords was from the NIH, with 9,938 found on lists posted online. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had the second-highest number, with 6,857. The World Bank had 5,120. The list of WHO addresses and passwords totaled 2,732.

Smaller numbers of entries were listed for the Gates Foundation, a private philanthropic group whose co-founder, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, last week announced $150 million in new funding to combat the pandemic. Also targeted was the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a Chinese research center in the city where the pandemic began that has been accused of a role in triggering the outbreak.

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/email-addresses-and-passwords-allegedly-from-nih-who-and-gates-foundation-are-dumped-online/

[dhill926]

1. I mean seriously, what the fuck...

are these assholes pro-virus? They think they're immune? Jesus....

[SoonerPride]

2. I assume this is the handiwork of our "friends" the Russians

[Midnight Writer]

6. The biggest clue is that, once again, no release of info from GOP related hacks.

[rockfordfile]

3. Neo-Nazis and Russian gov both are a pos

[cayugafalls]

4. Anonymous activists, Russian hackers funded by Putin?

I am just guessing. This is a terrible precedent.

Our government is incapable of handling any threat to our democracy or democratic institutions.

[Baked Potato]

7. The government is certainly capable of handling threats to democracy and institutions.

These organizations will change passwords and beef up security.

[uncle ray]

8. lol.

[Stallion]

5. The Virus Seems to Be Spreading on the Internet

perhaps we better spend more time combating the internet virus while fighting this Pandemic-we need a "New internet" just like on Silicon Valley (HBO)