WUNRN
Washington, DC - September 12, 2014
- The website of the International Women's
Media Foundation (IWMF) suffered a complex brute-force attack last
Friday, Sept 5. The website that features the work of the IWMF and promotes the
empowerment of women journalists worldwide, was defaced and most of its
original content destroyed.
Using
password-cracking software, a hacker operating from Turkey attacked iwmf.org, a Wordpress-based website, with over
3,000 login attempts until gaining access to its backend. The hacker replaced
the IWMF's extensive website with a single page displaying the message “Hacked
- Good Bye Admins” and installed malicious code to block anyone else from
logging in. The website was fully restored and functional less than 36 hours
after the attack was detected.
The
severity of the breach, as well as the hacker's advanced methods and systematic
approach, suggest that this incident was a targeted attack against the IWMF and
its mission to strengthen the role of women in the media.
Digital
threats against women journalists have become a growing concern in recent
years. A study on Violence
and Harassment against Women in the News Media, published by the IWMF and
the International News Safety Institute earlier this year, shows that nearly
20% of women journalists who participated in the study had experienced tapping,
hacking and/or digital security threats. The IWMF has increased its efforts to
raise awareness for this issue, in addition to including digital security
training in select IWMF
reporting fellowships.
About the
IWMF
Founded
in 1990 by a group of prominent U.S. women journalists, the International
Women’s Media Foundation is a Washington-based organization that is dedicated
to strengthening the role of women journalists worldwide. The IWMF believes the
news media worldwide are not truly free and representative without the equal
voice of women. The IWMF celebrates the courage of women journalists who
overcome threats and oppression to speak out on global issues. The IWMF’s
programs empower women journalists with the training, support and network to
become leaders in the news industry. For more information, please visit iwmf.org, follow @IWMF on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.
IWMF
Communications Strategist Anna Schiller, aschiller@iwmf.org, +1 202 567 2613.
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