Cyber Incident Victim: Churchill Banks
Date:
Mar 2015
Location:
Finland
Summary
AnonGhost, a hacktivist group, defaced multiple websites including Churchill Banks, Louisiana's Rapides Parish Police Jury, and Southern Heritage Bank, replacing content with pro-Hamas and anti-Israeli messages alongside threats of further cyber attacks. The group denounced governments for perceived unjust laws and warned of continued retaliation, consistent with their prior targeting of U.S. law enforcement and military sites. The attacks rendered the victims' domains inaccessible, displaying AnonGhost's defacement page at the time of reporting. The bank and other entities served both legislative and financial functions, though operational disruptions were not detailed beyond the website compromises.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 3 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On March 7, 2015, the hacktivist group AnonGhost executed a coordinated cyber attack against multiple organizations, including Finland-based Churchill Banks, Louisiana’s Rapides Parish Police Jury (RPPJ), and Southern Heritage Bank. The attackers compromised the official websites of all three entities, replacing their content with defacement pages containing political messages. AnonGhost claimed responsibility for the intrusions, mirroring their recent attacks against the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office website earlier that week and prior breaches of the Hillside Illinois Police Department and a military boarding school. The group’s defacement pages displayed explicit support for Hamas and the Qassam Brigade while issuing anti-Israeli and anti-government statements. A recurring threat warned governments to “expect more cyber attacks” and declared intent to retaliate against “unjust laws,” accompanied by the phrase “We are watching you. Don’t close your eyes.” Evidence of the breaches, including live defacement pages and Zone-h.org mirror links, remained accessible at the time of reporting.
The attacks rendered the targeted websites inoperable, displaying AnonGhost’s manifesto instead of legitimate content. The defacement messages specifically addressed “all governments,” accusing them of long-standing injustices and vowing continued digital retaliation. No operational disruptions beyond website defacements were documented in available reports, nor were customer data breaches or financial system compromises mentioned. The Rapides Parish Police Jury, described as a legislative and administrative body responsible for ordinances and policy, faced reputational impact alongside Churchill Banks and Southern Heritage Bank. All three organizations’ websites remained under AnonGhost’s control with no reported containment or restoration efforts at the time of public disclosure. The incident highlighted the group’s pattern of targeting U.S. law enforcement and financial entities to amplify geopolitical grievances through digital disruption.