{"id":21923,"date":"2019-05-21T18:03:28","date_gmt":"2019-05-21T18:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/21\/why-the-air-force-is-investigating-a-cyber-attack-from-the-navy\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:58:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:58:15","slug":"why-the-air-force-is-investigating-a-cyber-attack-from-the-navy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/cyber\/2019\/05\/21\/why-the-air-force-is-investigating-a-cyber-attack-from-the-navy\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Air Force is investigating a cyber attack from the Navy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Air Force is investigating the Navy for a cyber intrusion into its network, according to a memo obtained by Military Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bizarre turn of events stems from a decision by a Navy prosecutor to embed hidden tracking software into emails sent to defense attorneys, including one Air Force lawyer, involved in a high-profile war-crimes case<\/a> of a Navy SEAL in San Diego.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tracking device was an attempt to find out who was leaking information to the editor of Navy Times, a sister publication. A similar tracking device was also sent<\/a> to Carl Prine, the Navy Times editor, who has written numerous stories about the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Navy Capt. David Wilson, chief of staff for the Navy\u2019s Defense Service Offices, wrote in the May 19 memo that an Air Force attorney was among the defense lawyers<\/a> who had received emails with the hidden tracking software, which he described as \u201cmalware.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air Force defense lawyer reported the tracking device to his information security manager, who concluded the malware was a \u201csplunk tool,\u201d which allowed the sender of the malware to gain \u201cfull access to his computer and all files on his computer,\u201d Wilson wrote in the memo, which he sent to the chief of staff for the Navy\u2019s Region Legal Service Offices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn fact, I\u2019ve learned that the Air Force is treating this malware as a cyber-intrusion on their network and have seized the Air Force Individual Military Counsel\u2019s computer and phone for review,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wilson declined to comment further to Military Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air Force has not yet responded to a request for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serious questions about the Navy\u2019s use of secret digital tracking devices have emerged since the Navy Criminal Investigative Service launched its investigation into media leaks regarding the separate courts-martial of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher<\/a>, a Navy SEAL, and Lt. Jacob Portier, the commander of Gallagher\u2019s platoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gallagher is accused of stabbing to death an injured teenage Islamic State fighter in Iraq in 2017. Portier is charged with conduct unbecoming an officer for allegedly conducting Gallagher\u2019s re-enlistment ceremony next to the corpse of the dead fighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Navy judge in Gallagher\u2019s case issued a gag order that prohibited defense attorneys from sharing key documents with the media. But the media leaks continued, prompting the NCIS investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\t