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Following a story on IT Edge News site that the Nigerian government is planning to use clandestine technology to check the excesses of terrorism in the country, the website was over the weekend hacked by the Morrocan Islamic Union, a group which claimed to be sympathetic to the dreaded Boko Haram cause.
The website came up and was hacked again until IT Edge News web managers managed to stave off the attackers trail.
The group, whose facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/MoroccanIslamicUnionMail01 </ left written and audio messages recorded in Arabic on the IT Edge News website. It signed off the message with Moroccan Islamic Union-Mail.
The message reads: Message to the government of Niger…The killing of Muslim women and children and ally with France and America terrorist had to have a reaction all of this are resulted in a group called ” Boko Haram ” which is struggling in the way of Allah and where you cannot attach your crimes, and we as a Moroccan People will defend Boko Haram you are now in our target…Moroccan Islamic Union-Mail
The hackers are also targeting the websites of government and institutions regarded as pro western. Other websites hacked as at the time of the attack against IT Edge News include Ikpoba-Okha local Government Council, Kaduna State Government, McPherson University and Ebonyi State Government.
The IT Edge News story with the headline: ‘Nigerian government plans big on clandestine technology to checkmate terrorists’ that drew the ire of the hackers read in parts: “The Nigerian government plans massive investment in covert technology following the incessant attacks and killing of innocent Nigerians by suspected terrorists in Nigeria….
“Faced with terrorist groups that operate sophisticated communication system, the Nigerian government has been exploring its technology options to put terrorists in checks. The Nigerian Communications Commission had earlier released a draft of Lawful Interception signalling plans by government to eavesdrop on citizens. The plan has ignited a heated debate on its constitutionality.”
Cyber-attacks are common in today’s hi-tech world where digital strategies are continuously mapped out to knock off opponents or sites perceived as being unfriendly. A cybersecurity conference organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) is scheduled to hold in Lagos later this month: June.
“Such attacks are not unexpected. We have measures in place to ensure we remain online serving our global readers and clients,” said Ms Nwakaego Alajemba, Head of Corporate Business & Operations at Knowhow Media International, owners of the award winning news website.
