Cyber Incident Victim: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Date:
Aug 2017
Location:
Venezuela
Summary
A hacking collective known as The Binary Guardians disrupted approximately 40 Venezuelan government and state-affiliated websites, including those of the Supreme Court, legislature, and private telecommunications providers, in solidarity with anti-government protests. The group declared their digital campaign complemented street demonstrations against the administration, posting messages featuring lines from Charlie Chaplin’s *The Great Dictator* and vowing further disruptions. The cyberattacks coincided with a military raid on an army base led by dissident officers. While some compromised sites, including the presidential homepage, were restored, the hackers—claiming a global presence—framed their actions as support for popular resistance against perceived repression and judicial abuses, emphasizing civilian opposition to the government.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On August 7, 2017, the hacking collective known as The Binary Guardians executed cyberattacks against approximately 40 Venezuelan government and state-affiliated websites. Targets included the Supreme Court, the national legislature, and the presidential homepage, alongside private entities DirecTV and Digitel. The attacks disrupted operations, with multiple government sites remaining offline late into the day, though the president’s page was eventually restored. The group publicly claimed responsibility through Twitter, posting messages on compromised websites that incorporated excerpts from Charlie Chaplin’s film *The Great Dictator*. Their statement declared, "Our struggle is digital. You close the streets, we do so to networks," framing the attacks as digital solidarity with anti-government protests. The timing coincided with a physical raid on a Valencia army base led by former National Guard captain Juan Carlos Caguaripano, who sought to "re-establish constitutional order" against President Nicolás Maduro’s administration.
The hackers characterized their actions as supplementary support for street-level dissent, emphasizing widespread public opposition to Maduro’s governance. In communications with IBTimes UK, an anonymous representative stated the collective was "globally based" and intended further disruptions, though without fixed frequency. They condemned the Supreme Court as a "legal arm for the dictatorship" and cited military trials for civilians and state repression as motivations. Concurrently, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino confirmed two fatalities and eight arrests among the military base attackers, with approximately ten participants at large. The Binary Guardians explicitly linked their cyber campaign to these events, asserting their role in amplifying resistance against what they termed a brutal and unaccountable regime. No technical details of the attack vectors or government remediation efforts beyond website restoration were disclosed in available reporting.