Hackers Launch Attack On Home Office Website

Hackers group Anonymous claims it took down the Home Office website in
a distributed denial-of-service attack.
A message on the group's Twitter account read: "TANGO DOWN -
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk For your draconian surveillance
proposals! Told you to #ExpectUs!"
The message appears to refer to plans to expand the access the
intelligence services has to people's emails, telephone calls and
texts without a warrant, which are expected to be unveiled in next
month's Queen's Speech.
The legislation is expected to instruct internet companies to install
hardware enabling GCHQ - the Government's electronic "listening"
agency - to examine the data "on demand".
The Government has defended the proposals as essential if police and
security services are to stay one step ahead of serious criminals and
terrorists.
Visitors attempting to access the Home Office site were told that it
was temporarily unavailable.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "We are aware of some reports that
the Home Office website may be the subject of an online protest. We
have put all potential measures in place and will be monitoring the
situation very closely."
"If a successful denial of service attempt does occur tonight, we will
liaise with the technical team and update as necessary."
Other Twitter accounts apparently linked to Anonymous suggested that
the websites of Home Secretary Theresa May, Number 10 and the Ministry
of Justice had also been targeted.
News about the attacks was being posted by some users with the hashtag
#OpTrialAtHome, apparently a reference to Britain's controversial
extradition arrangements with the US.
A post on the Anonymous Operations account�?? read: "#OpTrialAtHome,
because selling your citizens to foreigner is not acceptable! We are
#Anonymous, We do not forget, We do not forgive."
So-called hacktivists claiming to be part of the loose collective have
been accused of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on credit
cards companies and other firms opposed to WikiLeaks as well as
attacks on government websites across the world.
A DDoS attack prevents legitimate users from visiting sites by
flooding them with unwanted internet traffic.
In the US, Anonymous is campaigning against the Stop Online Piracy Act
(Sopa) and the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (Cispa).