Malaysia Airlines just can’t seem to catch a break. Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) linked cyber terrorists were busy early Monday online attacking the embattled carrier’s website.
The cyber goons claimed to be from the “Lizard Squad,” a group known for previous ‘denial of service’ attacks, and claiming support for ISIS. The same group took credit for the attacks that felled the Sony PlayStation Network and Microsoft Xbox Live network.
The first message to appear on the airline’s site said, “404-Plane Not Found,” and “Hacked by Cyber Caliphate” with a photo of a Malaysia Airbus A380 super jumbo jet.
The browser tab on the website said, “ISIS will prevail.”
Later it was changed to: “Hacked by Lizard Squad – Official Cyber Caliphate.” A photo showed a lizard with a monocle in a tuxedo and top hat smoking a pipe. The browser tab for the website that read, “ISIS will prevail” was gone. Instead, a link to the group’s Twitter account.
It is not clear why Malaysia Airlines was targeted by the group. However, dozens of Malaysian citizens have been recruited by ISIS in recent months. Authorities in the country said last week they detained 120 people suspected of being ISIS sympathizers, or planning to travel to Syria, according to The Guardian.
The Malaysia Airlines carrier has been struggling in the wake of the tragic disappearance of one of its aircraft over southeast Asia, Flight MH370, with 239 people on board in March 2014. Malaysia Airlines flight, MH17 / MAS17, was downed with 298 people on board also later that same year over Ukraine.