Collective attack hits web underbelly The Anonymous movement has pulled off one of its biggest hacktivist coups yet, successfully defacing hundreds of Chinese Government websites in a spectacular protest against Internet censorship.Defacement attacks are ten-a-penny but the scale of what the previously unknown Chinese wing of the group and hackers invited via Twitter launched from 30 March onwards is still unusual.The full list of attacked domains posted on Pastebin has now reached 501 after rising in recent days, some of which were defaced more than once after Chinese officials regained control.“Your government controls the Internet in your country and strives to filter what it considers a threat for it,” read the opening text of the defacement message posted on many of the sites. “In the defaces and leaks in this day, we demonstrate our revolt to the Chinese system. It has to stop! We aren’t asking you for nothing, just saying to protest, to revolt yourself, to be the free person you always want to be,” continued a message on Pastebin backed up with a Chinese-language translation.Defacements were accompanied by The Who’s 1971 song, Baba O’Reilly, which famously contains the protest refrain ‘teenage wasteland’. The following protest message was also posted to two sites:“Dear Chinese government, you are not infallible, today websites are hacked, tomorrow it will be your vile regime that will fall. So expect us because we do not forgive, never. What you are doing today to your Great People, tomorrow will be inflicted to you. With no mercy,” it read.Most of the sites appear to have returned to normal, but the attacks are another example of how vulnerable large numbers of such websites can be to a determined and coordinated group of hackers out to create maximum nuisance.Hackers sympathetic to the Anonymous movement have now defaced so many sites it would probably be easier to state which high-profile companies and governments haven’t been hit.However, hacking is no longer an act that can be carried out with impunity, as the police sweep of LulzSec members last summer demonstrates.One of these accused, Ryan Cleary, was re-arrested in March for breaching his bail conditions after being arrested for allegedly DDoSing the website of the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Office (SOCA). Related content feature Top cybersecurity M&A deals for 2023 Fears of recession, rising interest rates, mass tech layoffs, and conservative spending trends are likely to make dealmakers cautious, but an ever-increasing need to defend against bigger and faster attacks will likely keep M&A activity steady in By CSO Staff Sep 22, 2023 24 mins Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions brandpost Unmasking ransomware threat clusters: Why it matters to defenders Similar patterns of behavior among ransomware treat groups can help security teams better understand and prepare for attacks By Joan Goodchild Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Cybercrime news analysis China’s offensive cyber operations support “soft power” agenda in Africa Researchers track Chinese cyber espionage intrusions targeting African industrial sectors. By Michael Hill Sep 21, 2023 5 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks Critical Infrastructure brandpost Proactive OT security requires visibility + prevention You cannot protect your operation by simply watching and waiting. It is essential to have a defense-in-depth approach. By Austen Byers Sep 21, 2023 4 mins Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe