A hacker group known as Ghost Shell have posted what they claim to be 1.6 million login names, passwords and email addresses from the FBI, Nasa and Interpol and other agencies.
Logins from the European Space Agency, the Pentagon, the Federal Reserve and other government agencies, US Department of Defense contractors and companies were posted online.
In total 37 different bodies were hit, after attacks on 150 insecure servers known as #ProjectWhiteFox, according to the BBC.
The group claimed the attacks were an attempt to promote the freedom of online information. The operation, known as 'Operation World Conference on International Telecommunications' (#OPWCIT), is designed to coincide with a crucial meeting of world leaders discussing global communications.
Ghost Shell said after the attack:
"#ProjectWhiteFox will conclude this year's series of attacks by promoting hacktivism worldwide and drawing attention to the freedom of information on the net.
For those two factors we have prepared a juicy release of 1.6 million accounts/records from fields such as aerospace, nanotechnology, banking, law, education, government, military, all kinds of wacky companies & corporations working for the department of defense, airlines and more."
The operation was prefaced on 15 November by the ominous tweet:
It said the attacks were its last of 2012, but that more leaks would follow next year.