In 2023, the internet remains one of the most crucial battlefields. Cyberwarfare is no longer just the war of the future; it's decidedly the war of today. And groups like Anonymous famously take down major institutions and organizations and expose corruption at some of the highest levels. Well, there's a new group in town: SiegedSec, the group made up of self-described Gay and Trans furries. SiegedSec is targeting states that have been passing anti-Trans laws and so far, they've been absolutely crushing it.
On June 28th, they posted on their Telegram claiming attacks on the Nebraska Supreme Court, the Pennsylvania Provider Self-Service website, the South Dakota Boards and Commissions website, the Texas State Behavioral Health Executive Council, and the South Carolina Criminal Justice Information Services portal.
SiegedSec hit the websites of Texas, Nebraska, and South Dakota because each of those states has passed legislation that bans gender-affirming care. South Carolina is currently planning a full transition ban for anyone under the age of 26. The group bestowed the states "gifts" which is what they call getting hacked. And with the success of these most recent hacks, SiegedSec has promised another "gift" for Texas coming soon.
The inclusion of Pennsylvania in the hacks wasn't based on anti-Trans issues, but SiegedSec saw an opportunity they wanted to take. In an email to CyberScoop, SiegedSec said, "We did not intend to also target states that aren’t part of the push to ban gender-affirming care, however, one opportunity appeared with the Pennsylvania PSS hack, but that’s the only exclusion." Continuing, "The targeted states were not opportunistic, we targeted them specifically for the gender-affirming care issues."
Several US states investigating #SiegedSec hacking.
This week hacked on 5 state-run websites:
Nebraska Supreme Court intranet
Dakota Boards & Commissions
Texas BHEC Personal Information
Pennsylvania Provider Self-Service
Carolina Criminal Justice.#OpGOP https://t.co/0ls10g7iDv— Anonymous · News (@Anonymous_Link) July 1, 2023
This isn't the first time a trans hacktivist has accessed high-level data. Maia Arson Crimew, a 23-year-old nonbinary trans lesbian hacktivist who uses it/its pronouns. Crimew accessed the No Fly List in a blog post titled "how to completely own an airline in 3 easy steps."
SiegedSec falls into the category of "black hat collective," which means that they directly oppose Q Anon conspiracy/Pro-Trump contingency, a group often known as "white hat collectives." But SiegedSec also self-describes themselves as a group of mischief-makers who do things "4 the lulz" and "because why not." This is a bit on the potentially reckless side of things since many of the people they're purportedly fighting for could end up being the very ones who get impacted/hurt by their hacks.
It's certainly going to be interesting following the progression of hacktivism and how it impacts social progress. We decidedly need to hit states like Texas, South Carolina, and the like where they're going to be most impacted, and these days that seems to mean cyberwarfare. This needs to be done ethically and prudently, but I'm thrilled to see our people being on the frontlines of the digital revolution.
Fleshbot: Plug In Get Off.
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