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Hackers target ANCYL site

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 26 Aug 2011

The ANC Youth League has failed to secure its Web site and was hacked yet again yesterday, with a fake “Letter from the President” posted to its front page.

The latest hack follows a slew of previous incidents in which hackers have made personal attacks on Julius Malema via the site. In March, hackers posted a supposed statement from Malema, announcing that he would be stepping down as president of the organisation, while last month saw the site crash due to security breaches.

Before the site crashed though, hackers added text next to an image of Malema, which read: “HA HA HA I have a 16 Million Rand house And all of you don't!!!!” (sic) On the same day, they also posted a picture of Malema dressed as a monkey, sitting on the shoulders of Jacob Zuma, with a headline reading “Dumb and Dumber”.

Yesterday's “Letter from the President” read: “I don't' know who these people think they are coming after me. They should know I am untouchable and will be the next president of the ANC and the country.

“I will even admit here that I took money to secure contracts for friends and family because I knew they could do the job and only rich white men can make a difference,” said the post, adding: “Why shouldn't I become rich off Jacob and his white friends”.

The post also stated: “Jacob and his friends want to create a South Africa where whites and blacks live together and everyone has the right to work for whatever he wants. We are working towards chaos where we get everything for free.

“I dare the ANC, Jacob Zuma, Hawks, Public Protector or the Police to come after me. I will bury you as I am the most important person in South Africa” (sic).

The post, which has since been removed, was signed: “Regards Julius Selo Malema.”

Not alone

The ANCYL site has not been the only target for defacement this year. The official ANC site was hacked in April, redirecting visitors to a Turkish site advertising shoes and food such as strawberries and peri-peri.

In 2009, a number of embarrassing links were posted on the site. Products on offer included free porn, tarot readings and a dating service.

Security firm McAfee's 2011 Threat Predictions report warned that attacks undertaken by hacktivist groups or individuals are expected to proliferate this year “as more citizens seek to make extreme political statements online”.

According to analysts, political party sites are high-profile media-friendly targets as they gain coverage in wider media and give hackers credibility in the hacker community.

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