The Anonymous hacking group has added the website of the Syrian Ministry of Defense to its ever-lengthening list of victims, defacing it with a message in support of the anti-Government insurrection.
Overnight, visitors to the website were greeted with the logo of the Anonymous collective plus links to videos showing protests, with a message in Arab and English.
“To the Syrian people: The world stands with you against the brutal regime of Bashar Al-Assad. Know that time and history are on your side – tyrants use violence because they have nothing else, and the more violent they are, the more fragile they become. We salute your determination to be non-violent in the face of the regime’s brutality, and admire your willingness to pursue justice, not mere revenge. All tyrants will fall, and thanks to your bravery Bashar Al-Assad is next.”
“To the Syrian military: You are responsible for protecting the Syrian people, and anyone who orders you to kill women, children, and the elderly deserves to be tried for treason. No outside enemy could do as much damage to Syria as Bashar Al-Assad has done. Defend your country – rise up against the regime! – Anonymous”
By lunchtime on Monday (BST) the site had become unavailable, which suggests either that the site has become overloaded or has been taken offline by the Syrian authorities.
Supporters of the insurrection will claim the successful hack as a propaganda coup although the Syrian regime and its leadership have long since stopped worrying how the outside world views it crackdown on anti-Government protests. The Anonymous hack tells us more about the insecurity of websites that offers convincing evidence of Syrian embarrassment.
Anonymous – and assumed spin-off LulzSec – have successfully attacked so many websites it is becoming easier to list those it hasn’t tried to undermine. It’s an eclectic and sometimes eccentric list.