The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, confirmed a major breach of the military data, suspecting hacktivist group Guacamaya to be behind the attack.
Last month, Guacamaya claimed to have hacked around 10GB of confidential data, including military and police emails. The hacker collective then published the information on Enlace Hacktavista; a platform cybercriminals use to publish stolen data.
In a press conference last Friday, Obrador said that sensitive data and emails belonging to the military across Central and South America were compromised. The data leak included information from the ‘Sedena’, Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (the Mexican Secretariat of National Defense).
Six terabytes of files, including details on the surveillance of the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar and documents and transcripts on narco-criminal operations, were impacted due to the breach, The Record reported.
During the press conference, Obrador said that he was not afraid of the damages resulting from the Sedena leaks adding that the government has nothing to hide. “If we hid things, were promoting corruption, violating human rights, repressing the people, then yes, we would have to hide information.”
He further said that several other countries’ sensitive data was also leaked, and the government has information regarding the same. “I understand that this group has done the same thing in other countries, I think in Colombia and Chile. That is why I think that it is something that is being directed from abroad.”
Other agencies that were targeted in the cyberattack did not respond to queries made by various media.
The Guacamaya group
The group identifies itself as the voice of the land of Abya Yala (the continent of America). They have been resisting the modernization of the territory. Latin America is rich in natural resources, due to which several industries have initiated mining projects.
However, the locals have been fighting against the incessant mining that gravely impacts the environment and the people around the area. The natives are seeking a peaceful resolution to preserve the land, as reported by Forbidden stories, a non-profit publication based in France.
