Hackers temporarily took over CNN’s social-media accounts and posted false messages Thursday, the news network confirmed.
The group responsible claimed to be part of the Syrian Electronic Army, hackers who support the Syrian government and have launched cyberattacks on news organizations in the past.
During the brief breach, hackers posted pro-Syria messages and called the American President “Obama Bin Laden,” in reference to the terrorist leader behind the 9/11 attacks. They also hacked CNN’s blog sites.
Though the posts have been deleted, journalists and news organizations posted these screen shots on Twitter:
Last year, the Syrian Electronic Army brought down the New York Times website and compromised social-media accounts of several other news outlets, including the Associated Press and Thomson Reuters. The group also claimed responsibility for hacking President Obama’s Twitter account in October.
Shortly before 7 p.m. E.T., CNN said it had secured its accounts.