LulzSec hackers claim CIA website shutdown

BBC News ^

[cartan]

The hacker group Lulz Security has claimed it has brought down the public-facing website of the US Central Intelligence Agency.

The alleged attack on CIA.gov occurred on the same day the group opened a telephone request line so its fans could suggest potential targets.

On its Twitter feed, the group wrote: “Tango down - cia.gov - for the lulz”.

The CIA website was inaccessible at times on Wednesday but appeared to be back up on Thursday.

LulzSec’s claim could not immediately be verified.

It was unclear if the outage was due to the group’s efforts or to the large number of internet users trying to check the site.

[Khepri]

The hacker group Lulz Security has claimed it has brought down the public-facing website of the US Central Intelligence Agency.

And why shouldn't they claim it, seeing that they announced ahead of time they were going to do it....rolleyes...

"...couldn't be verified..."

Right. That goes along with "we don't think any secret files were compromised or damage done" (paraphrased)...Translated: We don't know.

You'd think after all the security breaches under Bush (Lap-top thefts, compromising every serviceman) they'd have shored this stuff up...

[VideoDoctor]

I don't think anyone really has any idea how vulnerable we are when it comes to cyber security.

I have a longtime friend who started working with the early computers and the security efforts at that time, which was in 1988 at the age of 19.

He now has a position in Wash DC, working under Government contract in computer security. He recently told me that that were seeing attacks coming out of China that were so sophisticated and unique that he was getting lessons in higher learning in regard to cyber security.

He said nearly ALL of it was coming out of China. Anyone who thinks this is a bunch of hooligans operating in the U.S. are kidding themselves.

I'd say we're being tested. Imagine if they took out the electrical grid, or the banking grid, for any length of time here in the U.S.

[TheDingoAteMyBaby]

4Chan?

[cartan]

Yes. It is precisely because this particular gang is so retarded and unsophisticated that I do not believe that the Chinese are behind this particular incident. I mean, the web server wasn’t even “hacked.” It was just a DDoS attack. Big deal. If the Chinese were behind this, they would probably have picked a much more interesting target than the CIA’s rather insignificant web presence.

[Moose Burger]

“It was unclear if the outage was due to the group’s efforts or to the large number of internet users trying to check the site.”

That *does* deserve the lulz.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

It’s their forward facing site that just presents crap like contact links and the most general info about the CIA.

It was a DDOS attack. It’s not like they actually gained access to anything, besides causing a public facing website to be unaccessible for a while. Although the CIA might want to analyze if their threat monitoring devices need to be tuned better to deal with something like this. These clowns were still able to overwhelm it with bogus request packets.

They are really pissing on the wrong tree by doing this. You really don’t want to get the CIA and it’s resources fixed in your direction.

[oncebitten]

You are correct sir! Can you say VPN.