ANN7 and TNA websites taken down as rhino hackers up their game

Hackers have continued their assault on the rhino horn auction, now due to start in four days, this time by taking down the ANN7 and The New Age (TNA) websites.

The sites were down for some time, though both were working again on Tuesday evening.

This takes to five the number of websites brought down by hacktivists Anonymous so far this week – thepresidency.gov.za, gov. za and private rhino owner John Hume’s rhino horn auction website being the others.

“African News Network 7. Pro President Zuma. You know why this is being done,” paladin @VirusSec tweeted.

Paladin told The Citizen that Anonymous – a worldwide network of “social justice warriors” – was targeting Zuma as he was allowing the horn to be sold and didn’t care about locals’ opinions.

“These attacks are the start. Anonymous does not forgive these actions that were allowed by Jacob Zuma,” Paladin said.

Anonymous’ motto is “We are legion, we do not forgive, we do not forget, expect us”. The Private Rhino Owners’ Association condemned the attacks.

“They claim to truly care about wildlife, yet they endeavour to maintain the status quo for rhinos: a bloody, cruel and brutal war that is being paid in rhino lives, as well as those of rangers and reserve employees throughout our country,” said chairman Pelham Jones.

“Anyone who truly cares for animals will be calling for measures that keep them safe, healthy and alive, and we feel that a strictly controlled trade in rhino horn will facilitate this.”

Jones noted the fact remained that prior to the existence of the domestic moratorium on rhino horn sales, rhino poaching figures were negligible.

“We would like this to be the case once more. The failed trade ban has not saved the life of a single rhino,” he said.