Anonymous Release Hacked Data of More Than 1,415 Climate Change Officials

The online hacktivist group, Anonymous have leaked the private login details of nearly 1,415 officials at the UN climate talks in Paris in an apparent act of protest against arrests of activists in the city. The hacked details are from the website of the summit organizers, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and include names, phone numbers, usernames, email addresses etc.

The United Nations confirmed on Thursday reports that activist group Anonymous leaked personal data from some 1,400 people using its climate website, as the world gathered in Paris to craft a climate rescue pact.  “I can confirm there was a hacking incident earlier this week and that has been handled by the conference’s IT security experts,” said UN climate secretariat spokesman Nick Nuttall, who declined to make any further comment.

Anonymous stated that the attack was an act of protest against the arrest of protesters on a climate march in Paris on Sunday. Climate activists organizing a peaceful protest say that the demonstration was hijacked by a small group of anarchists who clashed with police. It should be noted that France has banned all kind of public protests since a state of emergency was declared after the terror attacks nearly three weeks ago.

Officials whose data has been leaked are from a range of countries including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Peru, France, and the United States. Employees of the British Council and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are among the British officials whose data is now in the public domain.

A member of the French delegation to the Paris climate talks said she was a victim of the hack.

“I changed my password and everything has been normal since,” she said.