14 DAY TRIAL // The hacker collective Paw Security started an offensive against China, attacking government websites, as well as those of different Chinese companies.
On August 5, the group announced on Twitter that they were scanning 3,000 Chinese websites for vulnerabilities. However, threats of an attack appeared one day early, when they decided to target China.
According to a manifest on Pastebin, the motivation of the group is animal protection.
“We are Paw Security, we are the protectors of those you torture and cage/transport. We do not approve of these inhumane actions you inflict on our precious PETS. These animals, dogs particularly are being caged by the thousands and transported to be slaughtered! How can your GREED overcome ones sense of PASSION and HUMAN NATURE? You disgust us!,” reads the statement directed at Chinese officials.
The cyber-attack started with the official website of the Chinese government (gov.cn) on August 4 and continued two days later, when Paw Security brought down the online locations of the largest oil and gas company in China (Sinopec Limited - sinopec.com), the state-owned Mobile Communication Corporation (chinamobileltd.com) and Sina Corp (Chinese Online Media Corporations).
The hackers posted on Twitter that their assault continued on the sites of the National Tobacco Corporation, the Hong Kong Post, the Chinese Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of National Defense, of Environmental Protection and of China’s Southern Power Grid Company.
Their latest target was Zhongxing Automobile Co Ltd, whose website could not be accessed at the moment of writing. Most of the targets affected by Paw Security’s actions have restored their online services though.
#Update: 3k #CN links being scanned for vulns. Stay tuned. #OpNoHunt #PawSecVSChina @ChezisMe
— PawSec (@Official_PawSec) August 6, 2014