US security think tank Stratfor new Hacker Target

Hackers on Sunday claimed to have stolen 200 GB of e-mails and credit card data from United States security think tank Stratfor, promising a weeklong Christmas-inspired assault on a long list of targets.

Members of the loose hacking movement called "Anonymous" posted a link on Twitter to what it said was Stratfor's secret consumer list — including the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, Goldman Sachs and MF international.

"Not so private and secret anymore?," the cluster taunted in a message on the microblogging web site.

Anonymous said it was ready to get credit details, in part, as a result of Stratfor didn't bother encrypting them — an easy-to-avoid blunder that — if true — would be a significant embarrassment for any security company.

Stratfor said in an e-mail to members that it had suspended its servers and e-mail once learning that its website had been hacked.

"We have reason to believe that the names of our company subscribers have been posted on different internet sites," said the e-mail, passed on to The Associated Press. "We are diligently investigating the extent to that subscriber info may have been obtained."

The e-mail, signed by Stratfor Chief govt George Friedman, said the company is "working closely with law enforcement to spot who is behind the breach."

"Stratfor's relationship with its members and, above all, the confidentiality of their subscriber info, are very important to Stratfor and me," Friedman wrote.

Stratfor's website was down midday Sunday, with a banner saying "site is currently undergoing maintenance."

Wishing everyone a "Merry LulzXMas" — a reference to spinoff and fellow troublemakers Lulz Security — Anonymous also posted a link on Twitter to a web site containing the e-mail, phone number and credit number of a U.S. Homeland Security employee.

The employee, Cody Sultenfuss, said he had no warning before his details were posted.

"They took money I didn't have," he told The Associated Press in an e-mail. "I suppose why me? i am not made."

Anonymous warned it's "enough targets lined up to extend the fun fun fun of LulzXmas through the entire next week."

The cluster has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on companies like Visa, MasterCard and PayPal, additionally as others in the music business and therefore the Church of Scientology.