HACKERS BREAK INTO US SENATE COMPUTERS

US Senate’s official website was hacked over the weekend, to add to the latest embarrassing breach of security to hit a major US-based institution. Lulz Security a loosely organized hacker group broke into a public portion of the Senate website but could not reach behind a firewall into a more sensitive portion of the network. Sergeant at Arms Office, which provides security for the Senate, said that the breach had not compromised any individual senator’s information. Lulz Security, who has hacked into Sony’s website and the US Public Broadcasting System, posted online a list of files which is not sensitive but which indicated that the hackers had been into the Senate’s computer network. Senate staffers were alerted about the breach late Monday. The Senate has been the frequent target of hacking attacks, with tens of thousands thwarted each month, Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer told Reuters in early June. The current break-in is just the latest in a series of embarrassing hacks against companies and organisations. The International Monetary Fund, Lockheed Martin Corp, Citigroup Inc, Google and Michaels Stores were the latest victims of hacking. Lulz has claimed hacks into websites owned by Sony Corp. It has also claimed responsibility for defacing the US Public Broadcasting Service network websites and for posting on Monday data from PBS servers to protest a “Front Line” documentary about WikiLeaks. Lulz claimed credit for breaking into a Fox.com website and publishing data about contestants for the upcoming Fox TV talent show, X Factor. Fox is a unit of News Corp.

Report by Reuben