SABC websites reportedly hacked by online activists

12 June 2016 - 17:13 By TMG Digital

The SABC’s websites were down on Sunday afternoon‚ with online hacker group Anonymous Africa claiming to have hacked the sites and taken them offline in retaliation for the national broadcaster’s decision to censor news coverage of protests.The hacktivist group that launched a massive cyber attack on the SABC on Sunday afternoon said it would halt the attack at 4pm but warned that it was not done yet and that there was “lots of action coming”.“We will stop the attacks at SABC (for now) at 4pm. We are not done yet‚ lots of action coming. Things are going to get wild‚” Anonymous Africa‚ which claimed responsibility for the cyber attack‚ said on Twitter.The group said the attack was in retaliation for the national broadcaster’s decision to censor news coverage of protests.The SABC sites went down at around lunch time on Sunday‚ including its news site and the SAFM‚ 5FM sites.The hacktivists said in on Twitter: “Attacks against all SABC entities now underway. SA experiencing largest ddost attack. All SABC stations down.”Anonymous Africa had warned about the cyber attack in a tweet on Saturday.“Journalists if you are bored. Tomorrow at around lunch time the SABC will be on the receiving end of largest dDos attack to hit SA ever‚” it said on Twitter.Meanwhile‚ SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago was quoted on Sunday afternoon as saying that the broadcaster was still looking into the alleged cyber attack.“I need to check with the head of IT‚” Kganyago told Fin24 when he was contacted for comment on Sunday afternoon.Anonymous Africa is also alleged to have hacked and taken down the website of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the early hours of Sunday‚ but this could not immediately be confirmed...

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