Anonymous Threatens to Hack Guantanamo Bay Network

Hackers have reportedly threatened to attack the computer system belonging to Cuba-based Guantanamo Bay prison. That has forced the U.S. military to take the facility's wireless network offline.

Reports indicate the hack was designed to show support for Guantanamo Bay prisoners. More than half of the prison population is currently taking part in a hunger strike focused on raising awareness about the facility's conditions.

Guantanamo Officials Fear Hacking Threat

Anonymous, a so-called 'hacktivism' group that uses hacking as a form of political protest, began an online campaign to mark the 100th day of the prisoners' hunger strike.

Initially, the group simply published contact details for political and military offices and asked social media followers to repeatedly send messages of protest.

The group also asked supporters to flood Twitter with messages about the protests and stories about the camp itself.

The protest then intensified, with people making threats to disrupt activities at the base. A website called 'Anon Insiders,' claiming to speak for the group, said it would "shut down Guantanamo". However, the press release didn't say this would be done through hacking.

There are no reports yet of any actual hacking attempts on the network, but military officials at Guantanamo Bay weren't taking any chances. Army Lt.-Col Samuel House told the Associated Press that wireless Internet at the base has been switched off because of the threats. (Source: ap.org)

Twitter, Facebook Access Also Blocked

House also revealed that staff who use computers on the wired network, which remains active, have been temporarily banned from using social media sites. Officials didn't say how long the measures are expected to remain in place.

It's difficult to tell how serious Anonymous members were about disrupting the Guantanamo network. The group includes loosely-associated members who are not represented by an official leadership.

Interestingly, Guantanamo Bay's computer network has been anything but reliable in recent months. Defense lawyers have reported the disappearance of key documents and the sudden appearance of other files meant to be available only to prosecutors. (Source: informationweek.co.uk)