Cyberpartisans say have disrupted state news agency’s work

December 31, Pozirk. The Cyberpartisans hacktivist group says it has hacked the website of the state-owned BiełTA (BelTA) news agency.

It reportedly damaged the news agency’s internal network and domain controllers and downloaded 90 gigabytes of business, accounting, and employee records and an archive.

Visitors saw opposition content on the BiełTA portal after the hack. The website is now inaccessible.

“Propagandists from the Belarusian Telegraph Agency harm the Belarusian people just like the interior ministry’s punishers and Łukašenka’s special services. During all the years of his dictatorship, they have been poisoning Belarusians’ minds with lies and manipulation to please the tyrant. Here is why we deliver a blow to BiełTA‘s computer network, paralyze the work of pro-government propaganda websites, and erase backups,” the group said.

It said the work of the news agency has been virtually disrupted, as the staff are trying “to perform their tasks from home computers.”

It added that the employees neglected basic security protocols and used “pirated software and systems.”

The management of the news agency has banned the employees from announcing the attack, Cyberpartisans said.

The group emerged in September 2020 and is known for its strikes on the websites of Belarusian security forces, state institutions, and media. It also dumped online confidential and secret information.