Hackers claim hits on CIA, U.N. Web sites

This Anonymous account publicized the CIA site outage with these messages on Twitter.

The CIA's Web site was down this afternoon in what looked like a distributed denial-of-service attack publicized by members of the online activist group Anonymous.

With the CIA site inaccessible, the Twitter account for @YourAnonNews tweeted "CIA TANGO DOWN: cia.gov #Anonymous" and included a link to a news story about the outage on Russian site RT.com.

A CIA spokesman declined to comment on the matter to CBS News beyond offering this statement: "We are looking into these reports."

The Anonymous account also posted a Pastebin link purporting to expose e-mails from the Mexican Mining Chamber, also known as "Camimex." In the Pastebin message, the hackers said they were targeting Camimex for its alleged exploitative labor conditions and business practices.

Earlier today a hacker or group going by the moniker "Casi" took credit for hacking the Web site of the United Nations and released what appeared to be vulnerabilities on the site. It was unclear why the UN was targeted. The move did not have the hallmarks of an Anonymous operation, including a clearly written message and the Anonymous motto: "We are Anonymous. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget."

Anonymous has a history of targeting law enforcement and related agencies on Friday. Last week it

Anonymous: We snooped an FBI cybercrime call

that they snooped on as officials discussed Anonymous and affiliate hackers. It also that day claimed to have hacked into police sites in Texas, Boston and Salt Lake City, as well as the

Anonymous hacks lawyers for Marine accused of Iraq massacre

and claimed to have stolen e-mails. (

Keeping up with the hackers (chart)

This handy chart provides a timeline of the computer attacks and hacks that have happened over the past year.

lists much of Anonymous' activity since last year.)

Updated 2:35 p.m. PT with CIA comment.

[Dgunner]

iF ANON IS SMART ENOUGH AND WELL HIDDEN AND CAN INTERRUPT WEBSITES AND SERVERS ? THE US HAS A BIG PROBLEM IF A CYBER WAR WAS TO REAR. THIS MEANS A THIRD PARTY COULD INTERRUPT THE OPERATIONS OF THE CYBER WAR FOR WHATEVER SIDE THEY CHOOSE AND STOP OR CAUSE THE HALT OF CYBER WARFARE AT THIER BEHEST.IF THEY EXPOSE ILLEGAL CONGRESSIONAL ACTIONS LIKE PAY OFFS AND LOBBYING SCUM ACTIVITY I SAY GOD'S SPPED. LAST MONTH THE TAX REPORT ON CONGRESS AND PRESIDENTIAL CABINET MEBERS BEING BEHIND ON TAXES AND THEN IT DISAPPEARED. I WONDER WHO CENSORED THE RESULTS. ARE THEY PAID OR JUST IGNORED BECUASE THEY ARE DOING SUCH A FINE JOB ?

[berlinfoto-2009]

I do not condone Hacking. I do not have a web sight. It is my true belief that many of the bogus emails that I have received over the last few years are from Law Enforcement.
A Federal Agency, tried to insert the same woman into my life twice, the attempts were 500 miles apart but the same woman. Different life stories for the same woman, what a joke.
It would be my true belief that many of the women I have dated and had affairs over the years were plants in my life by Law Enforcement.
Some of the emails are more attempts at putting a woman in my life, Is not this type of domestic spying Illegal? I today understand why they want to keep this sort of watch on me, and it has nothing to do with Illegal activities on my part. It has to do with my knowledge of wrong doing on the part of the government.
The United States Government is extremely sick, as well as many who work for it.

[berlinfoto-2009]

Remember a Snitch is a Snitch, and they are extremely destructive to our society, and particular destructive to individual lives.
They are not like maggots, maggots only eat dead tissue or what is rotten. Snitches are destructive to all, they are like parasites the eat the healthy living tissue, eventually killing the host body.
This should help you understand todays American Economy., it has been attacked by parasites, snitches.

[rwsmith29456]

Anonymous are not folk heroes. They are dangerous and destructive criminals.

[WiseAsOwl]

Aaaa.. Excuse me... Are you hackers really sure you want to screw with somebody that will just "take you out" if they get tired enough of you??.. You might THINK you're anonymous, but... let's not be too naive. You're messing with someone that's not concerned one little bit about your constitutional rights... OR where you live. You make me smile.. :-) I wouldn't be doing this, if I were you...

[scott3691]

If this is not a government operation then this is pathetic. If really hackers. Sounds like a russian thing going on. Under the table from the Putin government maybe?

[rainbowroosie]

Good plot for a movie: take down CIA website get attacked by guys in black fastroping from helos carrying laser weapons.

No, that's too far fetched.....

[stn_sage]

If there is any govt agency which should never bare
the disgrace of being hacked, it's the C.I.A.!
C'mon boys, tighten up the security!

[snth]

Dumber than a bag full of wet hammers.

Anon throws a DDoS rock through the front window.

CIA installs new front window

Anonymous throws a rock through the window again.

The same rock.

[secretsquare12]

They weren't "hacked", their server is being spammed. And the CIA *website* isn't exactly a top-security computer.

[IEtOut]

Anonymous rules! Kudos to them. EVERYDAY should be "Anti Law Enforcement Day". Everyday is Anti Citizen Day for law enforcement.

[Bojax39]

Without laws there are no such things as citizens, just animals and morons... though you seem to fall into the latter category naturally.

[getaskill]

Remember that comment when you get hacked.

[snth]

There's three things about these so-called, self-styled, Anonymous parents' basement 2-bit DDoS script-kiddie prison-bound brats I wanna say:

1. pimples.
2. punks.

3. And the third one is...uh...the third...

sorry.

oops.

[SB_Florida]

It's too bad Anonymous doesn't shake up the slimy credit reporting and collection agencies that could care less about accuracy-yet yield so much power.

[askagain]

Some of us never have problems with credit reporting agencies and collection agencies. We pay our bills on time. With deadbeats, it is always the other guy's fault.

[TheVarsityClub]

Maybe "some of us" can pass their secret on to Greece and America.