Hackers Claim to Sting CIA Website, Attack Senate Site Again

  • Share
  • Read Later

Notorious hacker group LulzSec isn’t pulling punches—it now claims to have taken down the CIA’s website just today, Wednesday afternoon.

“Tango down – cia.gov – for the lulz,” the group wrote on its official Twitter feed just after 6pm ET.

And again, shortly thereafter: “Lulz Security, where the entertainment is always at your expense, whether you realize it or not. Wrecking your infrastructures since 2011.”

The CIA’s site appears to be up as I’m typing this, but it’s extremely slow to load. CBS News grabbed a screenshot of the “timed out” error and reports that the CIA has admitted it “was looking into these reports,” but had no further comment.

(More on TIME.com: As LulzSec Claims CIA Coup, ‘Anonymous’ Hackers Arrested Worldwide)

A second attack LulzSec doesn’t yet appear to be taking credit for—perhaps because it appears to have failed—was revealed this afternoon by the Senate. According to CBS News, Deputy Senate Sergeant at Arms Martina Bradford said LulzSec had tried for a second time to breach the Senate’s network, but the group was unsuccessful. The first attack on the Senate’s site occurred last weekend, and culminated in the release (by LulzSec) of relatively innocuous directory listings.

Bradford said the group’s attempt today to access more sensitive data was blocked by a firewall.

LulzSec has claimed responsibility for recent attacks against Nintendo, two against Sony, gaming company “Bethesda”, four additional gaming sites, and now the CIA.

More on TIME.com:

LulzSec Knocks ‘Minecraft,’ ‘EVE Online,’ ‘League Of Legends’ and ‘The Escapist’ Offline

Game Studio Bethesda Admits Website Hacked, U.S. Senate Too?

Hackers Who Hit Sony Last Week Hit Sony Again This Week