The Chicago Building Trades website (chicagobuildingtrades.org) website has been hacked by a group called “Shield of Iran”, apparently one of a diversity of several businesses and organizations throughout the US afflicted by cyber-sabotage in the past few months.
A cached version of the website on April 6 shows a “Shield Iran Team” logo, Other victims of Iranian-related hacking appear to have been the South Alabama Veterans Council (in January), the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank and the US Federal Depository Library Program.
In the earlier reported hacking, the library program’s website was replaced with a bloodied image of US president Donald Trump being punched in the face, along with a message written in both Farsi and English, reading “martyrdom was (assassinated Iranian general Qasem Soleimani’s)… reward for years of implacable efforts,” with another caption noting that “this is only small part of Iran’s cyber ability!” CBS news reported.
A spokesperson from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, a section of the US Department of Homeland Security, acknowledged that the hack took place.
“We are aware the website of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was defaced with pro-Iranian, anti-US messaging,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “At this time, there is no confirmation that this was the action of Iranian state-sponsored actors. The website was taken offline and is no longer accessible. CISA [the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] is monitoring the situation with FDLP and our federal partners.”
Another senior US official noted that the defacement is a small-time event that was likely carried out by Iranian sympathizers, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Chicago Construction News is reaching out to the Chicago Building Trades for comment.
