Echoroukonline hacked by Egyptians
Echoroukonline website was hacked Sunday at around 10 pm by Egyptians as part of a media campaign against Algeria following Egypt’s defeat in a world cup qualifying match.
- This unprecedented act suggests that there is a multi-parts plan with Egyptian involvement in an attempt to eliminate the website of Algeria’s largest newspaper.
- After many attempts to destroy Echoroukonline, a hacker adopted new techniques to transfer the website’s domain name to an Egyptian hacker’s possession.
- “It is a new technique and I have not heard about it for 15 years in my work,” manager of GECOS Sofiane Sakhri said.
- He told Echorouk the hackers got the website identity in a strange way. “They submitted a request to buy Echorouk’s electronic address at a web hosting company. It transmitted the request to the corporation which deals with Echoroukonline in the US.
- US NIC Online said it opened an investigation in the illegal operation to know whether some of its employees have a hand in it.
- “We will lodge a complaint at the Algerian authorities and we will contact with the companies which sold Echorouk’s domain name,” said Sakhri.
- This campaign reflects Echoroukonline’s success in North Africa and the Arab World. Alexa ranked it first.
- The hackers justified their immoral act by showing Egypt’s importance. “Egypt will not accept to affect its reputation which will remain the Mother of the World.”
- Previously, Echoroukonline had been hacked for many times following Algeria’s victory over Egypt in a 2010 world cup qualifying match.
- A number of Algerian hackers attacked Egyptian media websites in response to those attempts. Yet, Echoroukonline reject such illegal ways and prefers honest competition.
- The hackers could not attack the main server. That means they could not reach the website data including stories and pictures. Echorouk’s archives are safe.
- Echoroukonline administration believes that specialised institutions are behind the attack. The newspaper has always been accused of triggering anger among Algeria and Egypt’s people. Yet, it was just defending the Algerian symbols against Egyptian satellite channels.
- The newspaper warns the Egyptian hackers and washes hands of any illegal use of the website.