PMO-run 20 websites hacked

Move on to detect culprits

20 March 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Hackers yesterday attacked 20 district websites operated by the Prime Minister's Office. The hackers who claimed to be Indians threatened Bangladesh with a cyber war if any Pakistani terrorist enters India through Bangladesh. Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder said they have already restored the websites and cyber-crime experts in Rab and Special Branch of Police are working to detect the hackers. "Earlier such incidents took place but the hackers were detected. Now we are also hopeful of tracing the hackers," he told The Daily Star last night. After the sites were hacked they flashed some Hindi letters and "JAI HIND!". The text on the hacked sites reads, "Secure border between INDIA and BANGLADESH If any terrorist send by Pakistan came via Bangladesh route then I will be danger to YOU Cyber War will be started this is demo We don't want more 26/11 in India. GOVERMENT LOOK AT IT ELSE CYBER WAR WILL START ....WE ROOTED AND ----- YOUR ISP ! " "EMIL INDIAN HACKER HackeD Your System [sic]." "Mission is now complete. Who will be next," reads a message on one of the hacked sites. The message also reads, "If you need help contact me: [email protected]." In instant reactions, Yeafesh Osman, state minister for science and ICT, told The Daily Star that the related body has started working to get the sites back up. He said the hackers broke into the system--apparently to get "secret information". Lt Col Ziaul Ahsan, director intelligence wing of the Rapid Action Battalion, said, "We have been informed of the matter and are working to track down the hackers." The government recently launched websites for 64 districts in a move to achieve Digital Bangladesh by 2021. Access To Information (A2I) project of Prime Minister's Office maintains the websites.