14 DAY TRIAL // Moody's website was defaced by a hacker unhappy with the agency downgrading Portugal's credit rating to a very low level.
Last week Moody's cut Portugal's rating by four points on its scale, pushing it towards what creditors consider "junk" levels.
Furthermore, the agency said the country will have to make drastic cuts in spending, increase its taxes and register remarkable economic growth in order to meet its budget deficit plans.
Moody's also said it's likely that Portugal will need a new bailout plan in addition to the $110 already borrowed from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union in April.
The agency's estimation seems to have upset Portuguese hackers and it found itself with its website defaced at the end of last week.
The attackers replaced the site's front page with a rogue one listing Portugal's rating as A++ (highest) and claiming that "Moody's is proud to announce that Portugal is now ranked as an A++ country."
The hackers also suggested that the agency is making up ratings based on what their wealthy friends want. "Here at Moody's we are paid to say what our $ friends want, we are powerfull [sic.]. We sell some hunches and everyone believes them. It's the mood of the day.
"Yet we have trivial security vulnerabilities on our website," the hackers wrote. The rogue page also includes the image of a statue of Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal.
Politically motivated defacements are very popular this year. With Anonymous being involved multiple campaigns against governments and affiliated organizations, new website hacking incident are reported every single day.
That being said, it doesn't seem the individuals who hit Moody's website are affiliated with the notorious hacktivist group or its AntiSec campaign. At least they haven't claimed to be.