Emails Associated With Local Government Workers Revealed In Ashley Madison Leak
(CBS) -- Hackers who breached the cheating website Ashley Madison have leaked email addresses, several of them linked to Illinois government workers.
The governor's office has launched an investigation as four email addresses released end in Illinois.gov. CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports the state worker email addresses aren't the only ones from Illinois.
The Ashley Madison secret is out. Making good on a threat, hackers released the names of those associated with the infidelity website Wednesday. On it, addresses from every branch of the military, the White House, the Department of Justice, and closer to home, four Illinois state workers.
"I am surprised that they went through with it, but am I surprised that they in fact had this leaked information? No," said Governors State Professor Bill Kresse.
A spokesperson for Governor Bruce Rauner says "Of the four email addresses connected to the data breach, two are associated with people who no longer work for the state. The administration has started an investigation to see if any agency policies were violated, and the agencies will take appropriate action."
But the Illinois connection doesn't end there. The list also includes two email addresses ending in cookcountyil.gov, one ending in lakecountyil.gov and another ending in stcharlesil.gov.
"Just because a name is on a list doesn't mean that they subscribed to it," said Kresse.
Thirty seven million presumably married people reportedly pay to use the website to hook up with another, married or attached adult. Ashely Madison touted its confidentiality, until this.
"These days I think you almost have to go in with the presumption that any system that is open to the internet is vulnerable for hacking," said Kresse.
In addition to the state investigation, a Cook County spokesperson says they are also investigating, adding personal use of email that violated an acceptable use policy may result in disciplinary action.