Sudan says thwarted “cyber-plot” to hack government websites
July 8, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The competent authorities in Sudan have frustrated attempts to hack and bug more than 50 government websites, a local newspaper reported on Sunday.
The pro-government daily Al-Ahram Al-Yawm cited unidentified sources as saying that local and international hacker groups have been attempting to plant spy software called Shell into more than 50 targeted government websites including those of political institutions.
According to the paper’s sources, the cyber-plot was conducted by hacker groups who received “advanced training courses inside and outside Sudan” on how to infiltrate and destroy websites.
The sources further said that the prosecutor of cyber-crimes, Maoya Issa, has initiated wide ranging investigations into the hacker groups that are “claiming responsibility for attacks on an international website”.
The famous hacker group Anonymous warned in a video on posted on YouTube that it will take action against the Sudanese government on account of its restrictions to free speech and internet access.
Girifna, a Sudanese anti-government activist group, last month said that Anonymous would support the Sudan Revolts campaign which aims to oust the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of President Omar Al-Bashir.
Sudanese authorities blocked a number of websites belonging to online newspapers deemed as anti-government as small anti-regime protests erupted across the capital and other regional towns over the last three weeks following a government decision to end fuel subsidies.
(ST)