HACKERS have targeted Stratford Town Council’s website – in a possible case of mistaken identity.
The website – www.stratford-tc.gov.uk – usually displays everything from details of upcoming meetings and agendas to information about the town.
But on Friday (January 8) the regular homepage disappeared and was replaced by an unusual image and a quotation from the Qur’an under the title ‘El Surveillance’
According to softwork security provider, Malwarebytes, the issue was related to a hacking campaign aimed at escort sites – involving defacement and data theft.
And although the site was only down for a few hours, it has since been temporarily closed to allow for maintenance to be carried out.
Town council spokeswoman, Sarah Summers confirmed the website had been hacked but was quick to stress no long term damage had been done.
She told The Observer: “We have suspended the site in order for this matter to be investigated properly and any extra security measures to be implemented as required.
“We do take such matters very seriously but it would seem hacking government or bureaucratic related websites often appears to be ‘fair game’ and too good an opportunity for these people to miss.
“There is no sensitive data on the website and no other data has been lost, however it has caused some disruption which is frustrating.
“The incident has also served to re-emphasise our awareness that we must keep ourselves ever abreast of a changing world in relation to this type of activity.”
