Bahraini Internet Forum Suffers Intrusion

Hackers disabled a Bahraini Internet forum accused of campaigning a religious group. Two groups of hackers - 'Hacked' and 'S1.K6' together broke into the "Kingdom of Bahrain Forum" website, www.bahrainforum.com. On October 1, 2006 the homepage flashed an Arabic message and conducted an online poll for the visitors. The message tried to explain the reasons for hacking and the online poll tried to gather the support for hacking.

Both a turn toward democratic reform and evolution of blogosphere in Bahrain are nascent. While the first is ongoing, a drive for registration of websites and a legal seizure of the owner of a popular online forum have aroused anger in the country's blogosphere.

As entrepreneurial groups of contractors all over the world lend their services to business and Government sites to outline their security flaws, hacking is becoming distinctly motivated by monetary factors.

The opinion poll showed divergent views. While 62% of the respondents supported the hacking of the website, 26.1% were against it. Another 11.8% could not decide. The message projected the website useless because it carried anonymous sectarian messages that would never be said in open.

The message worded that the forum consists of anonymous people who want to infiltrate their poison among the public and therefore, has no right to exist and project the name of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Ahmed, chief consultant and CEO, Innovate, told the moderators of the board that they did not repent bringing down the forum. He said that the moderators supported the members of the forum to reach such a height. He added that hacking was not out of context in Bahrain and the country was always a financial hub and naturally a target.

While accessing a forum or a chatting page, after clicking on the link that takes him to the inbox, if a window pops up asking the user to enter his password for the second time, then it is safe not to enter the password. It could be an attempt to spy on e-mail.

Bahrain does not allow unconditional freedom to netizens.Freedom is offered only for accessing sites that do not mention the existing situation in Bahrain.

Related article: Bahraini Cyber Community at High Cybercrime Threat

» SPAMfighter News - 10/9/2006