A group of Iranian hackers reportedly took down the website of the US Federal Depository Library Program (FDPL), a special website for federal government publications, on Saturday evening, amid a heightened escalation of tensions between Washington and Tehran.
“In the name of God. Hacked By Iran Cyber Security Group HackerS;). This is only small part of Iran's cyber ability! We're always ready,” a note on the website purportedly reads.
Apparent hacking by an #Iran-linked group of a US government website (the little-known Federal Depository Library Program). https://t.co/r47ODmt4Pw is currently offline. pic.twitter.com/8dx7EDUZvu
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) January 5, 2020
The website, which is not accessible at the current time, was altered to feature a picture of US President Donald Trump getting punched in the face by a hand emblazoned with the logo of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), causing blood to come out of his mouth, as a vow of retaliation by the IRGC for the killing of their Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani.
NEW: The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) website appears to have been hacked by an Iranian group. At the bottom of the page the "Iran Cyber Security Group HackerS" take credit. "#SpadSecurityGroup" also appears. pic.twitter.com/quK7mRdW6s
— Tracking Global Developments (@GlobalConflict8) January 5, 2020
The cyber-attack was claimed by a group that identified themselves as “Iran Cyber Security Group HackerS”.
“Martyrdom was his (Shahid Soleymani) reward for years of implacable efforts. With his departure and with God’s power, his work and path will not cease and severe revenge awaits those criminals who have tainted their filthy hands with his blood and the blood of the other martyrs of last night’s incident,” the group wrote on the now-disabled FDPL website.
On Friday, the United States ramped up tensions in the Middle East by killing the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’s Quds Force Qasem Soleimani in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. The White House claimed an alleged “imminent threat” against American lives as justification for the targeted drone attack.
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