Pentagon investigating communications hack at 17 US Air Force facilities

The Pentagon is investigating a “critical compromise” of communications across 17 US air force facilities, Report informs referring to The Guardian.

The US department of defense’s investigation comes amid a tip from a base contractor that a 48-year-old engineer at the Arnold air force base in Tennessee had taken home various government radio technologies, Forbes reported.

According to a search warrant obtained by investigators and reviewed by Forbes, the equipment allegedly taken by the engineer cost nearly $90,000. It also added that when law enforcement agents searched his home, they found that he had “unauthorized administrator access” to radio communication technology used by the Air Education and Training Command (AETC), which is one of the nine major commands of the air force and in turn affected 17 defense department installations.

Investigators also found an open computer screen that showed the engineer running a Motorola radio programming software. According to the warrant, the software “contained the entire Arnold air force base (AAFB) communications system,” Forbes reported.

The outlet also reported that, according to the warrant, a document detailing the forensics on technologies seized from the engineer’s home revealed that he had a USB which contained “administrative passwords and electronic system keys” for the AETC radio network.

Other items seized included flash drives that contained “local law enforcement radio programming files” and “Motorola radio programming files” which presented a warning banner that indicated they were government property.

Installer files which were recovered in the search opened with a “CONFIDENTIAL RESTRICTED” pop-up, according to Forbes.

The warrant also recounted how witnesses and co-workers informed investigators that the engineer had allegedly “sold radios and radio equipment, worked odd hours, was arrogant, frequently lied, displayed inappropriate workplace behavior and sexual harassment, had financial problems, and possessed [Arnold air force base land mobile radio] equipment”.