Parsippany, NJ (AP) May 30, 2006. Hackers broke into a Mexican government website yesterday, replacing the "Guide for the Mexican Migrant" with a "Border Is Closed" message.
The guide, English translation here, has been a sore point with many Americans. It gives advice on crossing the border without permission as well as how to live as an illegal in the USA.
The official website, restored after nine hours, includes both illustrated text and an audio version. The hackers replaced the audio with a mechanical voice saying in Spanish "The border is closed. The border is closed. Do not break any US or Mexican laws today. Call back tomorrow for further instructions."
Acording to Father Guido Sarducci, gossip columnist of the "Vatican Daily", the hackers, calling themselvess the "Sinking Ship Action Team", managed to break in by phishing for passwords, telnetting to Mexican governemnt webservers, and replacing key files. Father Sarducci says he overheard a group of former AT&T employees celebrating their acomplishment while he was drinking red wine in a bar in Whippany, NJ. Apparently angered by the Migrant Guide's blatant encouragement of Mexicans to break American laws, the SSAT first planned to kidnap one of the Dixie Chicks and hold her until the Mexican government took down the website and ceased distribution of the 5 million copies printed in January.
That plan fell through when the Action Team could not agree on which Chick to kidnap.
They then turned to Plan B, hacking the website.
Father Sarducci overheard the rowdy SSAT saying how a key password was a mistress' name, rapidly found in an unprotected Outlook Express list.
The Mexican government did not return calls asking for a comment. |
