{"id":269569,"date":"2018-07-27T14:54:04","date_gmt":"2018-07-27T12:54:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=269569"},"modified":"2018-07-27T14:57:40","modified_gmt":"2018-07-27T12:57:40","slug":"presidency-silent-about-website-hack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/security\/269569-presidency-silent-about-website-hack.html","title":{"rendered":"Presidency silent about website hack"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Presidency website was defaced<\/strong><\/a> in the first week of July 2018, and its office has not responded to requests for comment or issued a follow-up statement about the attack.<\/p>\n

A group calling themselves Black TeamX claimed responsibility for the hack, modifying the website\u2019s front page to display a message:<\/p>\n

Hacked by Black Team. Sahara is Moroccan. And Morocco is ur Lord!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Citizen reported<\/a><\/strong> that the message is about a land dispute in the Western Sahara, which South Africa and the ANC recognise as an independent region – and have accused Morocco of occupying.<\/p>\n

After taking the website down after the attack, it was repaired and brought back online.<\/p>\n

MyBroadband was able to establish that the Presidency website is operated by Absol Internet Business Solutions, and asked the company technical questions about the attack.<\/p>\n

Absol chief executive Mac Anamourlis said the issue was being handled by the Presidency, however. This included feedback to the media.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be inappropriate for us to comment while an official report is being compiled and reviewed by all stakeholders before being released to the public,\u201d said Anamourlis.<\/p>\n

MyBroadband asked the Presidency how its website was compromised, whether any sensitive information was affected as a result of the attack, and if it will try to track down the culprits.<\/p>\n

The Presidency did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n

\"Presidency<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Denial of service<\/h3>\n

Following the defacing, a hacktivist who calls themselves \u201cpaladin\u201d and goes by @VirusSec on Twitter launched a denial of service attack against the Presidency website on 19 July 2018.<\/p>\n

According to the attacker, the denial of service was part of a protest against the lion bone trade.<\/p>\n

Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa recently announced that 1\u201a500 lion skeletons may be exported from South Africa per year.<\/p>\n

The same attacker<\/a><\/strong> also claimed responsibility for a denial of service attack against the Presidency\u2019s website in August 2017 for allowing the sale of rhino horn and lion bones.<\/p>\n

\n

@PresidencyZA<\/a><\/p>\n

— paladin (@VirusSec) July 19, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n