THE Virginia United Football Club’s (VUFC) official website has been hacked by an international group of computer hackers known as AnonCoders. Through the attack the group has hijacked the local sports club’s website, leaving it inaccessible.

This follows an attack on the SABC’s websites on Sunday by a local ‘hacktivist’ group, Africa Anonymous, in protest against the decision to censor images of violent protest action.

Anyone visiting the site is met by the group’s logo and the messages: ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘This is to inform all and everyone on the world, that Muslims are not terrorists. A misconception that Muslims are spreading terrorism when in reality the governments are killing innocents and they are the true terrorists.’

It is unclear at this stage why AnonCoders have targeted the VUFC’s website.

When the Northglen News contacted the sports club’s chairman, Mark Ridsdale, he was shocked and unaware of the attack.

“I do not know why any group would target our site. There are no banking or confidential information linked to the site. The only information available are contact numbers, coach details as well as group photos, and these are all public knowledge,” he said.

As a volunteer-based initiative, he said the website was not monitored 24 hours a day.

The political activists have since 2015 been orchestrating database hijacks and leaks, admin panel takeovers and service attacks on Israeli websites in protest of crimes believed to have been committed against the Palestinian people.

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