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Hackers Impede on Local News Website in Sri Lanka

An unscrupulous group that could not be identified is thought to have broken into the news Website of former Minister, now turned dissident, Mangala Samaraweera party, on May 16, 2008.

After allegedly crashing into the lankadissent.com site's e-mail account, the hackers sent threatening messages to various officials whose addresses were tabled in the contact list. After sometime, the attackers even interrupted the Website by modifying the password and blocking addition of new content to it.

As the offensive hackers have targeted the address list, there are many possibilities of phishing attacks. phishing involves e-mail fraud in which fraudsters distribute legitimate-looking e-mail messages in efforts to collect financial and personal details from recipients. Generally, these messages purport to come from popular and trusted Websites.

Spokesman, Ruwan Ferdinandez, on behalf of the Website, which is kept by the Mahajana Wing of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party told The Sunday Times that a formal message about the hacking attack had already been sent to the FMM (Free Media Movement), as reported by SundayTimes published this on May 18, 2008.

According to the spokesman, there is a possibility that the hacking incident has got the support from government forces trying to suppress the media's freedom. The Website's intimation to the FMM cites a number of examples of infringement on the media's freedom, adding that expeditious action was required to prevent the tendency for media suppression.

According to Ferdinandez, the Website believes the incident isn't the job of one hacker but that of a group of organized attackers. Ferdinandez thinks that in the situation of all attempts to stifle the media, it is certainly the act of the Sri Lanka government. According to recent claims, the Defence Ministry established an observation unit for electronic media to keep watch over Websites that report the country's situation.

Moreover, administrators of the Website also claim that the Sri Lanka government has established an office to monitor Websites near the President's House to determine new methods to interfere with news Websites. Ferdinandez said that the experts spent a full day to regain the Website's normal functions and restart its operations, as reported by SundayTimes on May 18, 2008.

Related article: Hackers Redirect Windows Live Search to Malicious Sites

» SPAMfighter News - 5/26/2008

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