Belarusian Cyber-Partisans Hacked 30 Government Sites in Last 24 Hours

Paul Goble

            Staunton, October 11 – In the last 24 hours, Belarusian hackers who call themselves Cyber-Partisans took down approximately 30 government sites, in some cases making them inaccessible, in others posting opposition flags, and in still others publishing calls for people to take part in demonstrations and strikes.

            This expanded online effort occurred at the same time Belarusian officials were deploying more siloviki against the demonstrators in the streets and is a reminder that the contest between the people and the power is increasingly taking place not only physically but virtually (thinktanks.by/publication/2020/10/11/belorusskie-kiberpartizany-vzlomali-v-subbotu-okolo-30-saytov.html).

            Attacking government websites may even be a form of negotiation with the Cyber-Partisans threatening to step up their activities if the government steps up its moves in the streets. That could mean in the event of a dramatic upsurge in police activity in the streets that the hackers will take down sites that could impede government activities.