Hackers take over US gov't website

26 January 2013 05:43 pm - 9 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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International computer hacking group Anonymous is threatening to release secret U.S. government information after hijacking the website of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, an independent agency of the nation's judicial branch.

The group says it took over the website to avenge the death of Internet activist Aaron Swartz, who committed suicide two weeks ago.

Hackers took control of the commission's site early Saturday, replacing it with a message warning that "a line was crossed" with Swartz's death.

The 26-year-old computer prodigy, who helped create RSS feeds and the social news site Reddit, had been set to go on trial later this year on federal charges that he stole millions of scholarly articles from the online archive and journal distribution service JSTOR . He had downloaded the articles to make them free to the public online and could have served 35 years in prison.

Swartz's family said in a statement that his death is the "product of a criminal justice system rife with intimidation and prosecutorial overreach."

JSTOR did not press charges against Swartz once it reclaimed the articles from him. But U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz reportedly would not drop the case. She is quoted as saying "stealing is stealing, whether you use a computer command or a crowbar, and whether you take documents, data or dollars." (VOA)

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Comments - 9

nicky karunarathna Sunday, 27 January 2013 12:58 AM

Country who is having most lethal weapons in it is arsenal including nuclar weapons and secretly and jelously guarding their hegmony should be punished this method leaking their all bruhaha. Talking peace from its anal cavity and doing all underhand secretive things including war crimes, should be exposed to the world like Weekyleaks did. This pariah nation with its other criminal counterpart who colonized the world taking all the indegenous lands and Europeanize the world sermonising the world as mister cleans and perfects.

Mewan Sunday, 27 January 2013 01:48 AM

Well done boys. Way to go.

meranchi Sunday, 27 January 2013 03:18 AM

Very good...i

RW Sunday, 27 January 2013 04:09 AM

So why are we Sri Lankans excited about this... idiots. Fix our own justice system.

Hasitha Sunday, 27 January 2013 04:48 AM

What goes around .... comes around .....

Calistus Jayatilleke Sunday, 27 January 2013 05:12 AM

Nicky Karunaratne would be an ideal soul mate for our own Booruwansa to propagate the theory of western conspiracy and laud the numerous inhuman activities of countries like China. No wonder theyt say birds of a feather flock together.

normal human Sunday, 27 January 2013 12:00 AM

is this to say that the same hackers hacked to US also.... via DM Android App

rushy46 Sunday, 27 January 2013 11:39 AM

Agree. Shwartz would have gone for 35 years and a murderer or rapist gets 10 years in the US. Their legal system is worse than ours.

Yohan Perera Sunday, 27 January 2013 04:48 PM

Ah... Anonymous... the most famous hacking group today...

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Hackers take over US gov't website

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