The Federal Depository Library Program website, run by the Government Publishing Office recently fell victim to a hacking operation being referred to as “defacement” by a senior administration official.
The website makes federal government records and data accessible to the public, including an image that is speculated to have been the reason behind the hack. The website is offline and the Department of Homeland Security is now monitoring the whole situation.
Gary Somerset, the chief public relations officer for the US Government Publishing Office says, “An intrusion was detected on GPO’s FDLP website, which has been taken down. GPO’s other sites are fully operational. We are coordinating with the appropriate authorities to investigate further,”
Despite the fact that the authorities didn’t comment on who could be behind the hack, the site on the fourth of January displayed a picture of President Donald Trump bleeding from his mouth with an Islamic Revolutionary Guard fist in his face.
The picture showed up alongside the claim that is a message from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and that the webpage was “Hacked by Iran Cyber Security Group Hackers.” The text is in Arabic, Farsi, and English and passes on a message of support for “oppressed” people in the Middle East.
While Sara Sendek, a spokesperson for DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency further added, “We are aware the website of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was defaced with pro-Iranian, anti-US messaging. At this time, there is no confirmation that this was the action of Iranian state-sponsored actors. The website was taken offline and is no longer accessible. CISA is monitoring the situation with FDLP and our federal partners.”
According to sources, the FBI is yet to comment on the matter.