Report: ‘Sensitive’ U.S. Drone Documents Sold on Dark Web

Sensitive U.S. military drone documents are being sold on the dark web for just $150, according to a report.

The documents for the lethal drones currently used by the U.S. government were found by security organization Recorded Future’s Insikt group, who were offered the documents for $150.

“On June 1, 2018, while monitoring criminal actor activities on the deep and dark web, Recorded Future’s Insikt Group identified an attempted sale of what we believe to be highly sensitive U.S. Air Force documents,” Insikt claimed in a blog post. “Specifically, an English-speaking hacker claimed to have access to export-controlled documents pertaining to the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Insikt analysts engaged the hacker and confirmed the validity of the compromised documents.”

In their post, Insikt explained that “the MQ-9 Reaper is regarded as one of the most advanced and lethal military technology commissioned in the past two decades,” and is used by “the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the CIA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, NASA, and the militaries of several other countries.”

“It is not uncommon to uncover sensitive data like personally identifiable information (PII), login credentials, financial information, and medical records being offered for sale on the dark web. However, it is incredibly rare for criminal hackers to steal and then attempt to sell military documents on an open market,” they proclaimed, adding that the hacker confessed to entertaining himself “by watching sensitive live footage from border surveillance cameras and airplanes,” and “accessing footage from a MQ-1 Predator flying over Choctawhatchee Bay in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Insikt claimed to have identified the hacker’s name and country and declared they would “continue to assist law enforcement in their investigation.”