Rapides Parish Police Jury

Summary

AnonGhost hacktivists defaced the Rapides Parish Police Jury website and multiple financial institutions, displaying pro-Hamas and anti-Israeli messages while threatening further cyber attacks. The group, known for prior breaches of US law enforcement websites, compromised the sites to protest perceived governmental injustices, leaving overt political statements as part of their campaign.

Motives

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TTPs

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Description

On March 7, 2015, the hacktivist group AnonGhost executed a coordinated cyberattack targeting the official website of Louisiana’s Rapides Parish Police Jury (RPPJ), Southern Heritage Bank, and Finland-based Churchill Bank. The group defaced all three websites, replacing their content with anti-Israeli and pro-Hamas messages, including explicit support for the Qassam Brigade. The defacement pages featured threats directed at governments globally, accusing them of enforcing "unjust laws" and warning of further cyberattacks with the statements: "We are watching you. Don’t close your eyes…This Message Is Addressed To All Governments! for many years, we have witnessed your unjust laws. we will fight back ! Expect us!" Zone-H, a platform documenting website defacements, hosted mirrors of the hacked sites as evidence. The RPPJ website’s compromise was particularly notable given its role as a legislative and administrative body responsible for ordinances, policy-setting, and program management in Rapides Parish. At the time of reporting, all three websites remained offline, displaying AnonGhost’s messages.

This incident followed AnonGhost’s prior attacks against U.S. law enforcement and government entities earlier that week, including two separate breaches of the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office website. Historical activities attributed to the group included hacks against the Hillside Illinois Police Department and a U.S. military boarding school’s website. The defacement messages emphasized political motives, framing the attacks as retaliation against perceived governmental oppression and solidarity with Hamas. No data theft, service disruption beyond the defacements, or remediation efforts by the victims were disclosed in available reports. The attack highlighted AnonGhost’s pattern of targeting government and financial institutions to amplify anti-establishment rhetoric, though technical details regarding intrusion methods or collateral damage remained unspecified.

Sources

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