Hacking Group Attacks PBS Site for WikiLeaks Documentary
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The LulzSec logo.
CREDIT: Twitter |
The hacking group LulzSec has compromised three PBS websites, including Frontline and NewsHour, in retaliation for the news organization's recent airing of a WikiLeaks documentary.
The cyberpranks began Sunday night (May 29), when LulzSec also known as the Lulz Boat hacked into PBS' website and posted a fake news story claiming that slain rapper Tupac Shakur is alive and living in New Zealand, The Guardian reported.
Tupac is alive, PBS is hurt
In a May 30 post on its Twitter page, @LulzSec, LulzSec took responsibility for the hack, patronizing PBS in the process. "Dudes. Of course Tupac is alive. Didn't you see that official @PBS article? Why would they lie to their 750,000+ followers?"
Along with the phony Tupac story, LulzSec also posted a cache of stolen PBS internal passwords and usernames.
LulzSec is the same hacking group that, earlier this month, broke into Fox Broadcasting Network servers and published nearly 400 employee emails and passwords. That attack occurred just a week after LulzSec breached Fox servers and stole names and email addresses of potential contestants on Fox's singing competition "The X Factor."
[Hackers Leak Fox.com Employee Info]
PBS tries to stay strong
LulzSec claims that it launched the cyberattack on the PBS websites in retaliation for Frontline's recently aired WikiLeaks documentary called "WikiSecrets."
In a Twitter post, LulzSec described the program as a "smear," MSNBC reported, and wrote in a separate post, "We hope our hacking gave [WikiLeaks suspect] Bradley Manning a smile. That man deserves something nice."
PBS acknowledged the attack yesterday (May 30), but NewsHour, one of the compromised and defaced sites, is not taking the attack lying down.
While its official PBS website remains under attack, NewsHour has taken to its Tumblr page to continue publishing news stories.
Who is next?
After the Fox.com hacks, LulzSec claimed it would target the FBI next, but its priorities appear to have changed.
In several Twitter posts, LulzSec mentions that Sony already crippled by nearly a month of constant and costly security breaches may be its next high-profile victim.
"Hey @Sony, you know we're making off with a bunch of your internal stuff right now and you haven't even noticed? Slow and steady, guys."
"#Sownage is happening right now just slowly," the previous post reads.
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