FDLP
The FDLP's site as seen via Google search.
- A group claiming to be from Iran hacked and defaced a US government agency website on Saturday with an image of Trump being punched in the face alongside pro-Iranian messages.
- As of Sunday morning, The Federal Depository Library Program's (FDLP) website was down and the message had been removed from its main page. However, pro-Iranian messages are still showing on its Google search page details.
- This apparent hack comes just days after the death of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US airstrike ordered by President Trump.
- In return, Iran has promised "harsh revenge;" experts warned that this could include cyberattacks.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
A group claiming to be from Iran hacked and defaced a US government agency website on Saturday, posting an image of Trump being punched in the face alongside pro-Iranian messages. The news was first reported by The Daily Mail.
As of Sunday morning, The Federal Depository Library Program's (FDLP) website was down and the message had been removed from its main page. The FDLP, which is run by the US Government Publishing Office, was set up to give the public access to government publications and information for free.
While the message on its homepage has been removed, the hack is still visible via Google search.
Business Insider reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment but did not immediately hear back.
In a statement shared with CNN, Sara Sendek, a spokesperson for DHS' Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said that there was "no confirmation that this was the action of Iranian state-sponsored actors."
She continued: "The website was taken offline and is no longer accessible. CISA is monitoring the situation with FDLP and our federal partners."
Gary Somerset, chief public relations officer for the US Government Publishing Office, confirmed in a statement emailed to Business Insider that the organization was coordinating with "the appropriate authorities to investigate further."
The news comes just days after the death of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US airstrike ordered by President Trump.
Iran promised to take "harsh revenge" in return, and experts said that this could include cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity and defense experts told Business Insider's Aaron Holmes that Iran has been beefing up its computer-warfare capabilities since it faced a cyber attack in 2010 on its nuclear facilities.
"Iran is an intelligent cyber opponent with an army of people testing our systems every minute of every day. It is the ultimate game of cat and mouse," Sam Curry, chief security officer at Cybereason, told Holmes on Friday.
But other experts reiterated that the US would be prepared for an attack of this sort.
"I absolutely think that they will look to attack our critical infrastructure on the homeland," Kiersten Todt, a cybersecurity adviser in the Obama administration and the managing director of the Cyber Readiness Institute, told Holmes.
He continued: "Our capabilities and our preparedness for that type of attack is strong, and our military is extremely well prepared for this."
Apparent hacking by an #Iran-linked group of a US government website (the little-known Federal Depository Library Program). https://t.co/r47ODmt4Pw is currently offline. pic.twitter.com/8dx7EDUZvu
- Steve Herman (@W7VOA) January 5, 2020