Anonymous group of hackers release data from Chinese government sites
The Anonymous group of computer hackers yesterday followed up on its threat made on Friday to release data from mainland government websites.
It released hundreds of phone numbers and email addresses of the Ningbo Free Trade Zone in Zhejiang province and a job-search site run by the Changxing county administration, also in the coastal province.
Anonymous took the action shortly after the government denounced the group’s threat of cyberattacks, which were apparently in support of the protesters. The data also included individual IP addresses and names.
It was not immediately clear why the two websites were targeted. The government offices in charge of the websites could not be reached yesterday. The Ministry of National Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also not available to comment.
Anonymous said it had already infiltrated more than 50 mainland government databases and leaked 50,000 user names and emails, saying it was fullfilling promises to “stand and fight alongside the citizens of Hong Kong”. The group earlier targeted Hong Kong sites after issuing a first warning on October 2. In a public video message, Anonymous declared cyberwar on the government and police force for the use of tear gas against demonstrators. Anonymous made some sites either inaccessible or intermittently accessible on October 3.
Michael Gazeley, managing director of security service provider Network Box, said it was difficult to judge “whether [the earlier attacks] really are [the work] of Anonymous to start with” because Anonymous is a loosely associated group.
