The Albuquerque Police Department website went offline after being attacked by Anonymous hacktivists, who were protesting the shooting and killing of two people by officers from the department in recent weeks. Anonymous hackers took down the police department's website for hours on Sunday.
Police spokespeople admitted that the website was offline on Sunday due to the attack, and told The Associated Press that the source of the attack could not be identified.
This is not surprising given that DDOS attacks usually originate from a large number of computers, many of which are already compromised and controlled with the help of malware.
Last week, Anonymous hacktivists released a threatening statement about the city of Albuquerque and the Police Department, urging their supporters to seize the headquarters and launch cyberattacks against the police department's website.
The hackers also provided software for DDOS attacks to those who wanted to participate in the online protest.
In addition to the police department's website, the hacktivists also temporarily disrupted the official website of the City of Albuquerque.
Immediately after the attack, Anonymous released a video message about the attack on the police station, showing officials claiming to have increased security measures. Apparently, the additional measures did not work.
But why did the attacks take place?
It all started on March 16, when police shot and killed a homeless man outside a public housing complex. The officers claimed they were threatened, but a leaked video shows the victim preparing to leave when he was shot.
A few days later, another man was shot. Police said they opened fire, but his family insists he was only holding a phone in his hand. Both incidents are under investigation.
