Hackers deface Libya’s top level domain registry with anti-Gaddafi message

With heavy fighting reaching the compound of Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi, hackers have also taken virtual arms overnight and defaced the website of domain name registry nic.ly.

Hackers calling themselves “Electr0n” have defaced the nic.ly website, the main registry which administers .ly domain names (the “.ly” stands for “Libya”) and replaced it with a defiant message:

[+] HACKED By Electr0n[+] &
|~| ali monder |~|

bye bye Qadaffi
Feb 17 Libya

Greetz to
Dr.exe | Qnix | Rock-Master | LoverBoy | r1z
And All Muslim Hackers :)

The date February 17th relates to when Libyan protesters began their demonstrations only to be shot upon by security forces loyal to Colonel Gaddafi.

Perhaps the most famous site to use the .ly country code as as their top level domain…

Read more in my article on the Naked Security website.

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Graham Cluley •   @gcluley

Graham Cluley is a veteran of the cybersecurity industry, having worked for a number of security companies since the early 1990s when he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows. Now an independent analyst, he regularly makes media appearances and is an international public speaker on the topic of cybersecurity, hackers, and online privacy. Follow him on Twitter, Mastodon, Bluesky, or drop him an email.