Hackers Hit State Offices’ Web Sites

Hackers vandalized Web sites Monday operated by the California Energy Commission and Secretary of State Bill Jones, posting anti-American statements on the sites and in one case a picture of a Chinese flag.

The incidents occurred two days after two Web sites operated by federal agencies were taken over by hackers. They posted a picture of Wang Wei, the Chinese pilot who was killed in a crash with a U.S. Navy spy plane, on the Department of Labor Web site.

Hackers have also vandalized numerous Chinese Web sites in the wake of the April 1 crash, posting pro-American graffiti on the Chinese sites.

In California, the energy commission’s home page was replaced Monday morning with a black page littered with red-colored phrases written in English and Chinese, according to Bob Aldrich, who runs the commission’s site.

The English phrases included “The People’s Republic of China Is Everlasting,” “Down With the USA” and “Down With Yankees.” The page was signed, “Hacker union of China.”

Hackers infiltrated an Internet site operated by Secretary of State Jones by replacing the front page of a sub-site that visitors use to read campaign contribution and lobbyists’ finance reports. A new page posted by the vandals featured a Chinese flag and phrases, including “Beat Down Imperialism of American!” and “Attack Anti-Chinese Arrogance!”

Alfie Charles, a spokesman for Jones, said a multi-agency task force of local, state and federal authorities was investigating the act. He said the vandals posted the page at 8:32 a.m. and it was taken down about 15 minutes later.

It took six hours to make the page operational again. According to Charles, none of the information in the database was compromised.

“We had an unplugged security hole that we didn’t realize was there,” Aldrich said.