A large number of websites belonging to the United States government were hacked over the weekend, with evidence of new hacks also being published late Monday and early Tuesday. Websites in Ohio and Maryland were taken down after the hacking group Team DZ hit the index page with pro-ISIS and anti-Donald Trump messages.
The sites in Ohio and Maryland were taken down after the hacking group Team DZ hit the index page with pro-ISIS and anti-Donald Trump messages.
The websites of Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Howard County, Maryland, were the first two to be compromised on Sunday, but other attacks also targeted the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, the Ohio Governor, the Ohio First Lady, Transformation, and the Office of Health and Medicaid Transformation.
Additionally, Team System DZ also targeted the Washington Department of Health website, as well as various pages belonging to international organizations.
The defaced websites featured a black wallpaper and an Arabic symbol, with an Islamic call to prayer running in the background. A message posted on the website expressed support for the Islamic State and included a warning to Donald Trump and Americans.
Most websites have already been restored and authorities in Ohio said they have already contacted the FBI to begin an investigation.
"All compromised servers have been taken offline and we are investigating how these hackers were able to deface these websites. We are also working with law enforcement to better understand what happened," said Tom Hoyt, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Administrative Services.
The DZ Group system is a group of hackers that have been active since at least November 2015, and their targets have included not only websites in the United States but across the world, including those owned by French and Spanish authorities.
