PBS falls victim to hackers with false Tupac Shakur story

[err0r]

Computer hackers on Monday broke into the website of the US public service broadcaster PBS and published a fake article claiming rapper Tupac Shakur was alive and living in New Zealand.

 

A group named the Lulz Boat claimed responsibility for the attack, claiming it was retribution following the network's recent documentary on Julian Assange and the whistleblowers' site WikiLeaks.

 

PBS on Tuesday said three of its websites – NewsHour, Frontline and PBS – "remain under attack by hackers" and that it was attempting to restore normal service.

 

The article about Tupac, who was murdered in Las Vegas in 1996, was removed from the broadcaster's website – but login information for two internal PBS sites was stolen and published online.

 

David Fanning, the executive producer of the PBS Frontline programme, described the attack as "irresponsible and chilling".

 

He added: "From our point of view, we just see it as a disappointing and irresponsible act, especially since we have been very open to publishing criticism of the film … and the film included other points of view."

 

The PBS WikiLeaks documentary, called WikiSecrets, attracted criticism after it first aired last week from those sympathetic to the site's founder, Julian Assange.

 

The pro-WikiLeaks group of hackers have previously claimed responsibility for attacks on Fox, Sony and the US X Factor website. A message – which has now been removed by PBS – posted by the group on the broadcaster's website during the hack attack read: "Greetings, Internets. We just finished watching WikiSecrets and were less than impressed.

 

"We decided to sail our Lulz Boat over to the PBS servers for further … perusing. As you should know by now, not even that fancy-ass fortress from the third … Pirates of the Caribbean movie (first one was better!) can withhold our barrage of chaos and lulz.

 

"Anyway, unnecessary sequels aside … wait, actually: second and third Matrix movies sucked too! Anyway, say hello to the insides of the PBS servers, folks. They best watch where they're sailing next time."

 

The group also managed to create a new page on the PBS website, called "lulz", where it wrote "Free Bradley Manning flower Frontline".