Cyber Caliphate Attacks Malaysia Airlines Website

Cyber Caliphate Attacks Malaysia Airlines Website

  • By Ginger Hill
  • Jan 26, 2015

As Malaysia Airlines tries to rebound after Flights 370 and 17 (MH370, MH17), a group calling itself “Cyber Caliphate” had other plans. Hacking into Malaysia Airlines’ website, messages like “ISIS WILL PREVAIL,” “404-Plane Not Found” and “Hacked by Cyber Caliphate” were displayed in strategic areas, such as at the top of the browser’s window, and some were accompanied by graphics, one including a picture of Malaysia Airlines A380.

Later, an image of a tuxedo-wearing, pipe-smoking lizard with a top hat and monocle appeared, with “Hacked by Lizard Squad, Official Cyber Caliphate,” giving the Twitter handle for a group called Lizard Squad. This is the same group who claimed responsibility for the cyberattack on Sony and Microsoft’s videogame servers in December 2014.

In response, Malaysia Airlines replaced the hacked site with a version that allowed users to book flights. The airline immediately reported this incident to CyberSecurity Malaysia, a forensics and analysis agency directed by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Ministry of Transport.

“Our investigation determined that it was a case of domain hijacking,” said CyberSecurity Malaysia Chief Executive Amirudin Abdul.

Malaysia Airlines have since released a statement indicating that their Web servers are intact and customer bookings and data are secure.

Image from the UK's Mirror website.

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • Survey Shows Election Anxiety Crosses Party Lines

    New reports of election worker intimidation are raising concerns about election interference. A majority of Americans (71%) are worried about voter intimidation or safety at the polls, and 75% want security cameras at their voting place, according to a new national survey. Read Now

  • 66 Percent of Cybersecurity Pros Say Job Stress is Growing

    Sixty-six percent of cybersecurity professionals say their role is more stressful now than it was five years ago, according to the newly released 2024 State of Cybersecurity survey report from ISACA, a global professional association advancing trust in technology. Read Now

  • Live from GSX 2024: Post-Show Recap

    Another great edition of GSX is in the books! We’d like to thank our great partners for this years event, NAPCO, LVT, Eagle Eye Networks and Hirsch, for working with us and allowing us to highlight some of the great solutions the companies were showcasing during the crowded show. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX

  • Research: Cybersecurity Success Hinges on Full Organizational Support

    Cybersecurity is the top technology priority for the vast majority of organizations, but moving from aspiration to reality requires a top-to-bottom commitment that many companies have yet to make, according to new research released today by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the technology industry and workforce. Read Now

Most   Popular

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file. 3

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure. 3

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge. 3