MOGADISHU, Somalia Jul 22 2012 (Garowe Online) – A group
claiming to be the cyber hacker or hacktivist group Anonymous has threatened
Dahabshiil an international funds transfer company and the leading bank in
Somalia, Garowe Online reports.
The group alleged it was the hacktivist group Anonymous, and
threatened to destroy Dahabshiil within two months if the company did not stop
what the group alleged as supporting terrorist organizations and terrorists in Somalia and
across the world.
The group, who printed out thousands of account details,
alleges that Dahabshiil supports terrorism through dealing directly and
indirectly with terrorists.
In the statement the Anonymous group released, the group alleged
that it was investigating the bank’s accounts for months after easily bypassing
firewalls.
“After months and months of fun against these guys who
support Terror on earth, we just decided that it was time to destroy them,”
read the statement.
The group said it had planted “cyber bombs” and warned
Dahabshiil if they consulted IT experts that the group would detonate those
bombs destroying the company.
Dahabshiil while speaking to News.com.au downplayed the
cyber attack of its stations and said that the threat was “exaggerated”.
Although the bank did not verify the individuals it promised
that despite the threats it would protect their customers.
“Safeguarding our customers is of paramount importance to
Dahabshiil and we will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities
to ensure that we identify those responsible,” read the Dahabshiil statement to
News.com.au.
The bank also denied ever working with terrorists or funding
terrorists.
“We have never been the subject of any investigation in relation
to alleged terrorist funding and we have no involvement whatsoever with money
laundering or the funding of terrorist organizations.”
If in fact the hacktivist group Anonymous did threaten
Dahabshiil this will be a new frontier for the group who have targeted websites
of the US Department of Justice the FBI and the websites of governments like
the United Kingdom, Egypt, Algeria and Libya.
The group which does not have a leader or head or a member
list and virtually anybody can join, has not been known to go after terrorists
or alleged terrorist supporters, but in the alleged statement by the group, it
did announce officially its “War on Terror”.
GAROWE ONLINE
