WATCH: A government website that you would expect to be secure was knocked offline overnight by a hacker group. While it’s back up and running, it could point to a bigger problem. Mike Le Couteur explains.
TORONTO – The Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s (CSIS) websites are back online after a cyberattack brought down the portal for the second time in less than 24 hours.
The main website for CSIS and careers sub-site appeared offline Tuesday morning after a cyberattack brought it down Monday evening. It is the third time in two weeks government websites have been attacked.
A Twitter account under the name TWITRis4tards claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack and again on Tuesday.
The Twitter account claimed to have also attacked Ontario’s government website, but it appeared to be online.
The sites went offline just after 8:30 a.m.
It wasn’t until 2 p.m. that the sites were back online.
A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney said “no personal information was compromised in this attack.”
“This is another reminder of the serious security challenges and threats that we are facing,” Jeremy Laurin said in an email to Global News. “This is why we need strong laws like the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2015 to address security threats facing Canada.”
Less than two weeks ago, several government websites, including ServiceCanada.gc.ca and Parl.gc.ca, were also hit by cyberattacks. Hacker group Anonymous claimed responsibility in those attacks.
Comments