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Hackers replace Al-Jazeera Web site with AMERICAN FLAG

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posted on Mar, 27 2003 @ 05:43 PM
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sfgate.com.../news/archive/2003/03/27/national1312EST0646.DTL


Hackers replace Al-Jazeera Web site with American flag

TED BRIDIS, AP Technology Writer Thursday, March 27, 2003

(03-27) 14:34 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

Hackers wreaked electronic havoc Thursday on Internet sites operated by the Arab television network Al-Jazeera, diverting Web surfers to pornography and to a page with a U.S. flag and the message "Let Freedom Ring."

Hackers impersonating an Al-Jazeera employee tricked one of the Internet's most popular Web addressing companies, Network Solutions Inc., into making technical changes that effectively turned over temporary control of the network's Arabic and English Web sites.

The changes -- similar to replacing exit signs on a highway to misdirect travelers -- were to be fixed by midnight. But it was expected to be at least 12 hours afterward before Al-Jazeera's sites would be available worldwide, said Brian O'Shaughnessy, a spokesman for Network Solutions.

Hackers calling themselves the "Freedom Cyber Force Militia" initially hijacked Internet traffic destined for Al-Jazeera's Web site in English and redirected it to a different Web page on computers operated by Networld Connections Inc., an Internet provider in Salt Lake City. That site was shut down hours later.

The page included the message, "God bless our troops," signed by a self-described "Patriot." There was no response to e-mail sent to an address on the Web page.

Al-Jazeera's site in Arabic was sending Web surfers at one point Thursday to a pornography site.

"Certainly, it has been hacked," acknowledged Jihad Ali Ballout, a spokesman for Al-Jazeera. He described the attack as "a frontal, vicious attack on freedom of the press" and urged anyone with information to contact authorities.

Later Thursday, Al-Jazeera's site in English was redirected again to another Internet provider with the message that it was "taken over by Saimoon Bhuiyan."

"Our system notified us that an error had occurred in this update," O'Shaughnessy said. "We worked with (Al-Jazeera) and we've corrected it."

The mistake was embarrassing for Network Solutions, and for its parent company, VeriSign Inc., which sells authentication and security services in addition to operating the master records for all Web addresses ending in ".com" and ".net."

Network Solutions offers several optional layers of security for customers requesting technical changes that affect their Web sites.

"This sounds like a very low-tech attack," said David Endler of iDefense Inc., an Internet security company in Reston, Va. "It probably didn't take a lot of effort, probably a fake phone call or fax. It's amazing how often the human element comes into play with security breaches. You can have levels of authentication, but obviously one person has the ability to circumvent all that."

The Arab network's Web sites have been suffering disruptions for days, ever since showing pictures of dead and captive U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Al-Jazeera, based in Qatar, is an unusually independent voice in the Arab world.



posted on Mar, 27 2003 @ 07:28 PM
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LOL... now that IS funny


Still rolling,
Deep



posted on Mar, 27 2003 @ 07:52 PM
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I read that story on Whatreallyhappened.com. Guess some people have too much free time on their hands.


[Edited on 28-3-2003 by Ocelot]



posted on Mar, 27 2003 @ 07:54 PM
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Yes, you are right, and a criminal act to boot, but it is a screaming RIOT!



posted on Mar, 27 2003 @ 08:02 PM
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bravo
]
prolly some american teen or the CIA



posted on Mar, 27 2003 @ 08:07 PM
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What they have done is bloody sick!

Every news service is entitled to freedom of speech and expression.

They have nothing to do with this war.

They just report the facts according to their interpretation, which is good to hear because so many of the US news services are so biassed towards the US and BUSH.

So you hear the news on the american networks , then you hear them on Aljazeera and draw a conclusion because not everyone is telling the truth 100%



posted on Mar, 27 2003 @ 08:13 PM
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Come on! Yes, they have the right to print whatever they want, but to say it is according to their "interpretation" while calling the others "bias" should be an obvios bias in and of itself.

Whatever, its still hilarious how they did it, and I'd feel the same way if an Iraqi computer geek (yeah, right!) did the same to CNN or Fox.

Lighten up a bit, don't let the war make your sense of humor a casualty!



posted on Mar, 27 2003 @ 08:15 PM
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Personally, I would have hacked it and posted a giant MOON (you know what I mean) or the good old one finger salute.

Still a good operation though.



posted on Mar, 27 2003 @ 08:24 PM
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Welcome to the 21st Century.

This is how wars in the future will be fought..Through the INFORMATION SUPER-HIGHWAY.

Information is power..Piss us Americans off some more and next time it might be a POWER GRID or AIRLINE CONTROL TOWERS.

Right now it's all fun & games but this could get ugly real quick but other than that..I think this is a scream..



posted on Mar, 27 2003 @ 08:27 PM
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I doubt this "hacking" was done by someone outside the CIA. As a longtime BBS/Internet user who knows a few of the seedier types around here, I can attest to the fact that hackers are all "Individualists" at heart. Not to mention that the vast majority are steadfastly Liberal, and have more hatred for America then most terrorist masterminds.

Somehow, I don't see Mr. Mitnick taking America's side on any issue, not after the way they treated him.

Consider that my two cents for the day.



posted on Mar, 29 2003 @ 04:07 AM
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First time I would have to say " you go hackers" . But that's not get to carry away with it .



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