Hackers Attack Czech Government Web Site

PRAGUE, Dec 7, 2000 -- (Agence France Presse) Computer hackers attacked the Czech interior ministry's web site on Wednesday, inserting a defaced picture of Interior Minister Stanislav Gross, a spokesman said.

The hackers, signing themselves "binary.division," also posted an ironic message in German, saying "Welcome to Gross' security service" in the early morning attack on the web site for the interior ministry and police.

Ministry spokesman Samuel Truschka declined to confirm or deny radio reports that the intruders could have gained access to e-mails from civil servants.

The site, at www.mvcr.cz, was closed about three hours after the computer attack occurred, when officials noticed the problem, he said.

A series of measures to strengthen security of government data on computer databases would be taken in the near future, he added.

Last week a hacker found his way into the web site of a Czech communist party inserting the message "communism is stupid," as well as a direct link to the site of the main right-wing opposition Civic Democrats (ODS). ((c) 2000 Agence France Presse)

http://www.centraleurope.com/news.php3?id=227845

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), December 07, 2000