Hackers cripple 'racist' website

04 September 2015 - 02:09 By Shaun Smillie

Eight months after they hit singer Steve Hofmeyr's website, the hacktivist group Anonymous Africa are back, launching an attack against an African American news site that they claim is racist. African globe.net, which covers African American news, was knocked offline on Wednesday in a Distributed Denial of Service, or Ddos, attack.This form of attack is when a server or website is bombarded with so much traffic that it denies visitors access to the site.When the attack ends the site can reopen.Anonymous Africa said the reason for the attack was that the website "fed propaganda to black racists", and had published an article on the EFF party, which is polarising "black South Africans against white South Africans as much as possible".African globe.net said on Twitter yesterday they had experienced a Ddos attack.The site was still down yesterday.The hacktivist group told The Times yesterday that they felt safe enough to continue "ops" in South Africa, after keeping a low profile for eight months.Over the last two years the group has launched cyber attacks against the ANC website, the Independent online news site and Zimbabwean government sites.They also attacked a US news website that reported that Nelson Mandela had died in June 2013, and that his death was being kept secret in a government cover-up."Our mission is not to destroy, but to focus attention by creating noise on issues we believe are important to the SADC," the group said in an e-mail.Anonymous Africa said that they would soon launch an attack on the Zimbabwean Herald's website, which they say is a "mouthpiece" for President Robert Mugabe...

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.