We track down the hackers who shut down presidency website

Hacktivists operating under the Anonymous banner sent a clear warning this weekend to government and organisers over the upcoming rhino horn auction.

Two government websites, thepresidency.gov.za and gov.za – the official portal to the South African government – as well as private rhino owner John Hume’s website rhinohornauction.com were taken down on Saturday.

While gov.za and Hume’s sites were eventually restored, the presidency website remained down until late yesterday.

“If hackers can gain access to the auction site and client data, and shut down the government website, it begs the question, how safe would a South African database of rhino horns for legal trade be?” asked freelance conservationist Gayle Pedersen.

“Traffickers could just as easily hack into that and target every stockpile in SA. Why buy if you can take for free? Concerns have been raised in the past regarding the security of online collaborative research databases, but no one would really be able to do any harm with that sort of information. A rhino horn database, however, is very different; it could allow stockpiles to be targeted for theft.”

While the State Security Agency did not respond to requests for comment, Hume’s lawyer Izak Smit of Seymore du Toit & Basson Inc confirmed Saturday’s cyberattack on the auction site.

“We were able to rectify the website with the assistance of Van’s Auctioneers in Gauteng and Interexcel Digital Marketing, our marketing and IT partners,” Smit said.

“From the wording that appeared on the website during the cyberattack it is clear the attack emanated from the animal rights movement. As such we consider all persons and/or organisations within the animal rights school of thought, especially those that have expressed an opinion against the planned legal sale of rhino horn, as potential suspects and potential criminals,” Smit said, and added they would be pursuing legal action against the hackers.

This could bring up to a R10 million fine and/or 10-year prison sentence if the hackers were ever convicted.

“The fact that these people resorted to criminal behaviour to voice their opposition to the principle of sustainable use of renewable natural resources serves only to expose their cowardly nature.”

Smit noted Hume’s recipe for saving the rhino meant “no single animal ever needed to be killed”.

“Animal rights people on the other hand appear to be content with the status quo where thousands of rhino are killed for their horn, which is directly benefiting the poachers and perhaps directly benefiting their money collection campaigns.”

The Citizen spoke to two of the alleged hackers on Twitter, @VirusSec (aka Paladin) and @h0t_p0ppy (aka Anonymous). Between them and a third person, @NFAgov, they claim to have hacked the Presidency and rhino horn auction websites, all of which was done under the Twitter hashtag of #OpFun

According to Paladin, the presidency site was under attack “for the president’s lack of care of locals’ opinions and watching rhino horn being sold via website”.

“These attacks are the start,” Paladin warned.

“Anonymous does not forgive these actions that were allowed by Jacob Zuma. The recent activity on @PresidencyZA (The presidency’s Twitter account) is full of hatred of the current president as his actions.”

#OpFunKill is against trophy hunting as well as many other animal abusive activities, Anonymous said.

“Yeah i have a number of ops on animal rights. So when i heard about the auction i just thought NOOOOO lol [sic],” she said.

“Any legal rhino horn trade will stimulate the market, encouraging more poachers – if that’s possible.”

Hume’s site was back after a few hours; however, Anonymous warned there was more on the way.

“We are trying a number of things; Hume has paid for much better protection. His ‘farm’ of rhinos, it’s vile in my book. He’s using rhinos’ desperate situation for monetary gain. Wouldn’t it be better to educate the non-medicinal properties of rhino to would-be customers?”

#OpFunKill was started in about 2013 by her mentor, @OpFunKill, Anonymous said.

“I since then took over #OpKillingBay Japan, started #OpWhales and #OpSeaWorld and made an off-shoot of #OpKillingBay for the Faroe Islands,” said Anonymous.

On the #OpFunKill website, the home page states: “For a long time now we have been watching with horror, the cruelty that some members of the human race seem capable of inflicting upon animals.

“Issues such as trophy hunting, dog smuggling, animal testing, whaling, shark and dolphin fishing, destruction of habitats, inhumane slaughterhouses, dog fighting, bull fighting, and the trade in ivory, rhino horn, exotic animals, and fur clothing, and many more. Greedy people and corporations are destroying nature and our corrupt governments turn a blind eye.

“These animal exploiters need to know we are watching,” Anonymous warned.