Cyber Incident Victim: Anonymous
Date:
Jan 2016
Location:
Thailand
Summary
Hacktivist groups Anonymous and Blink Hacker Group targeted Thai police websites with cyberattacks, defacing pages with protest messages including "Failed Law" and #BoycottThailand, following death sentences given to two Myanmar migrants convicted of murdering British tourists. The attacks, which disrupted access to multiple sites, were staged to condemn perceived investigative failures and alleged mishandling of evidence by Thai authorities during the high-profile case. Police acknowledged the website breaches but asserted no sensitive data was compromised, dismissing the hackers' technical capabilities. The verdicts had previously sparked public outcry in Myanmar over claims of torture and judicial unfairness, with protests occurring outside Thailand's embassy. Anonymous publicly criticized police competence in a video prior to the attacks, linking the cyber campaign to broader demands for justice in the controversial trial.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 4 motives | 2 techniques |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 3 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On January 5, 2016, hackers disrupted multiple Thai police websites in response to the Koh Tao murder verdicts involving two Myanmar nationals. The attacks followed a December 24, 2015 Thai court decision sentencing Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun to death for the 2014 killings of British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on Koh Tao island. Anonymous claimed responsibility through its Facebook page, listing 14 targeted police websites—nine of which became inaccessible during the incident. The group had previously posted a 37-minute video on January 3 featuring a masked individual criticizing Thai police competence and their handling of this case, which had faced allegations of evidence mishandling and torture during the investigation. Website defacements displayed protest messages including "Failed Law," "We Want Justice," and #BoycottThailand, along with attribution to Myanmar-based "Blink Hacker Group."
Thai police confirmed the cyberattacks but minimized their significance, with spokesman Dechnarong Suthicharnbancha stating no confidential data was compromised from public-facing systems. The verdicts had previously triggered physical protests in Myanmar, where demonstrators gathered outside Thailand's Yangon embassy demanding the defendants' release. While Anonymous publicly claimed the attacks, Reuters noted it could not independently verify the perpetrators. The incident occurred against a backdrop of international scrutiny over Thailand's judicial process, though Thai courts had dismissed torture allegations during the trial. No technical details regarding attack vectors, duration, or full remediation efforts were disclosed by authorities or attackers in available reporting.