Key facts
- Two U.S. Army websites were defaced with pro-Kurdish messages and anti-Donald Trump statements.
- The defaced websites were the Open Innovation Lab and the AI Integration Center.
- Messages called President Trump a "pedophile" and "thief," referencing Jeffrey Epstein.
- The Army corrected the defaced error pages after being contacted by media.
- The U.S. Army is investigating the incident.
Two U.S. Army websites were defaced by hacktivists displaying pro-Kurdish messages and targeting President Donald Trump with insults. The websites, the Open Innovation Lab and the AI Integration Center, had their error pages altered to show messages calling Trump a "pedophile" and a "thief," likely referencing his connection to Jeffrey Epstein. The messages also called for a "free Kurdistan" and mentioned Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey. The defacements were visible on Monday and were corrected by the Army shortly after being contacted by media. The Army has not disclosed how the websites were compromised but noted they run on WordPress and utilize plugins, which can be vulnerable. It remains unclear if any data was exfiltrated during the incident. The Department of Defense did not respond to requests for comment. Hacktivist attacks, while often aimed at raising awareness for political causes, can also be destructive. This incident follows other recent breaches of federal government systems, including the Department of Homeland Security.