Armenia and the information war

[Federate]

Re: Armenia and the information war

Hackers attack Armenian ministries’ websites

Hackers vandalized RA Agriculture, Urban Development, and www.iranahayer.com websites.

“Azeri hackers again attacked our website. Due to the updated technologies, they could not entirely crack it, except for the breaking news of last days and opinions. We will newly post the news, however are unable to recover the opinions for which we apologize,” www.iranahayer.com informs.

“Coming soon, please, visit later!” sign appears on RA Ministry of Agriculture home page.

The website of the Ministry of Urban Development warns it contains a virus.

Earlier today, Football Federation of Armenia, Ministry of Diaspora and BTA bank home pages were vandalized by the hackers.

http://news.am/en/news/2657.html

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Iraqi hackers attack Armenian websites

Hackers vandalized Armenian Football Federation (FFA) home page, that was shut down since yesterday. Hackers identified themselves as Iraquis, considering they are “the best” in the world.

“Defacements of FFA website happen once in a while,” FFA Press Secretary Georgy Matevosyan told NEWS.am. “Last time it was cracked in July, when the pages contained French encryptions. We have already upgraded the website and it’s currently available.”

Iraqi hackers previously broke into the BTA bank website, that is presently fully functional.

http://news.am/en/news/sport/2630.html

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By hacker attacks Azerbaijan tries to divert attention from its society and problems
17.08.2009 16:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Attacking Armenian sites, Azerbaijan is trying to divert attention from the problems of their society, including of the armed forces. Samvel Martirosyan information security expert and Eduard Abrahamyan , expert of the Mitk analytical center told a press conference in Yerevan today devoted to issues of “Information security, current tasks”.

The experts explained, it is evident that Azerbaijan has launched a large-scale promotional campaign, it continually states that the economy grows, the level of military training is improving, everything is perfect in the country, in contrast to Armenia, where everything is very bad.

Azerbaijan opens information front line, where it is trying to score, distracting public attention from the situation in their country.

http://panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=35379

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Attacks on Armenian sites aimed at testing vulnerability of infrastructure
17.08.2009 15:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Attacks on Armenian sites are aimed at testing vulnerable spots in the infrastructure of the Armenian virtual network, Samvel Martirosyan information security expert and Eduard Abrahamyan , expert of the Mitk analytical center told a press conference in Yerevan today devoted to issues of “Information security, current tasks”.

The experts expressed their opinions that attacks resemble military exercises and are aimed at identifying “holes” in the Armenian network.

According to them, hacker attacks enhance the professional level of our specialists, in the area of ensuring safety of Armenian web sites, if they would work hard to eliminate the detected “holes”, rather than trying to hide the facts of hacking for their prestige.

http://panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=35376

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The situation with Azerbaijani - an issue of national security
17.08.2009 17:04 GMT+04:00 l

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The situation with Azerbaijani hackers' attacks on Armenian sites and promotional activities of Azerbaijan are questions of national security of Armenia, Samvel Martirosyan information security expert and Eduard Abrahamyan , expert of the Mitk analytical center told a press conference in Yerevan today devoted to issues of “Information security, current tasks”.

According to Eduard Abrahamyan, there have been cases when the Azerbaijani businessmen, not without a signal from the ruling circles, buy Russian newspapers, including authoritative ones, to maintain a pro-Azerbaijani propaganda. Such incidents are taking place not only in Russia but throughout the world and might result in a negative image of Armenia and Armenians.

According to the experts, all possible measures to counter these facts should be taken, since se our country “loses the information war”.

http://panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=35382

[Federate]

Re: Armenia and the information war

Armenians — main populace of Safavid Empire



Azeris decided to dispute history. The exhibition organized by Smithsonian Institution of Washington titled “The Tsars and the East: Gifts from Turkey and Iran in The Moscow Kremlin” became the target of Azerbaijani mass media.

This exhibition features 15-17 cc. exceptional objects presented by Safavid and Ottoman kings to Russian tsars. The information of brochures and under the exhibits reads the presents of Safavid tsars (Shah Ismail 1) as “presents of Iranian Safavid rulers contributed to New Julfa Armenian governance”.

It is also mentioned that Armenian merchants were holding major outlets in New Julfa region. However Azeris were shocked to know that Safavid Empire was mainly populated by Armenians and there was no mention of Azerbaijani in the exhibition brochures.

New Julfa is located in North-West of Iran, at Nakhchivan border. Whereas Old Julfa is in Nakhchivan’s territory, where within last years Azeris destroyed all Armenian graves (with the crosses as a gravestone) to eradicate any reminders of Armenians living there.

The exhibition, lasting till September 13, 2009 is sponsored by “LUKOIL” Company, U.S.-Russia Business Council, U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce and organized by Moscow Kremlin Museum, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Smithsonian Institution.

http://news.am/en/news/2639.html

[Federate]

Re: Armenia and the information war

More Azeri children commit suicides

Twenty Azeri children (ten girls and ten boys) committed suicides in 2008, Azerbaijani Trend Life agency reports.

Five people hanged themselves, including a ten-year-old boy in Lankaran since the beginning of 2009.

The causes of suicides are domestic conflicts, drug addiction, social-economic problems and mental diseases.

http://news.am/en/news/2633.html

[Icy]

Re: Armenia and the information war

With all these hackers hacking our sites, I just wish I was there
to help the Armenian side with counter DDOSING the hackers.

[ninetoyadome]

Re: Armenia and the information war

Im surprised the azeris didnt whine about the exhibition at the Smithsonian Institute.

[Icy]

Re: Armenia and the information war

Guardian Diagnosed Azerbaijan

Guardian daily recently published article under “Azerbaijani authorities interrogate music fans in Eurovision probe” heading.

“Forty-three Azerbaijani music fans who voted for neighboring Armenia in this year's Eurovision song contest have been questioned about their 'ethnic pride',” the article reads.

NEWS.am has already reported that Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan (MNS) detects Azerbaijani citizens who voted for Armenia at Eurovision-2009. 43 Azerbaijani citizens voted for Arshakyan sisters (Armenian contestants). MNS summoned all the mentioned and had a short talk of their ‘political correctness’, ‘ethics’ and other paramount issues Azerbaijani should not neglect. But all this is done in the light of “national idea and pride.”

Guardian writes: “Though officials told the BBC that they had &‘merely invited [voters] to explain’ their votes, one fan described a more robust interrogation.”

MNS is impotent to realize the whole scope of panhuman values, that should be apart of political interests. Demanding to keep the ‘code of honor’, Azeri officials deprive the latters of the main advantage-free expression of will. Fanaticism ‘dazzles’ anyone and drives him to inadequate actions. The one becomes ill in all senses of this word, meanwhile feeling healthy. He attempts to cure ‘ill’ behaving a ‘doctor’.

The matter is, if Azerbaijani authorities display disrespect towards their citizens, isn’t it immoral to expect antipodean? Fanaticism and anti-humanism gives rise to similar phenomenon. True meaning of ‘national pride’, ‘love for homeland’ and ‘code of honor’ notions should be thoroughly considered and one should have a long way to go before he fully digests the meaning of these words.


Source: http://news.am/en/news/armenia/2724.html

[Federate]

Re: Armenia and the information war

“Tolishi sado” daily editor died in Azeri prison


August 17, Novruzali Mamedov, 68, Tolish cultural center Head and “Tolishi sado” daily (voice of Talish) Chief Editor, died in Azerbaijani prison hospital.

Due to bad state of health, Mamedov was moved to prison hospital at the suit of international organizations. According to his lawyer, Mamedov felt bad in the August 17 evening and doctors couldn’t make it.

Azerbaijani authorities kept Mamedov under detention. Despite all appeals of human rights’ organizations and foreign diplomats, seriously ill Mamedov was not released.

Chief Editor of “Tolishi sado” daily was sentenced to ten-year imprisonment in summer 2008 and charged with treason against the state, namely cooperation with Iranian secret services.

http://news.am/en/news/2706.html

[ninetoyadome]

Re: Armenia and the information war

apparently someone has hacked hyemp3.com, those bastards.

[Joseph]

Re: Armenia and the information war

“Tolishi sado” daily editor died in Azeri prison


August 17, Novruzali Mamedov, 68, Tolish cultural center Head and “Tolishi sado” daily (voice of Talish) Chief Editor, died in Azerbaijani prison hospital.

Due to bad state of health, Mamedov was moved to prison hospital at the suit of international organizations. According to his lawyer, Mamedov felt bad in the August 17 evening and doctors couldn’t make it.

Azerbaijani authorities kept Mamedov under detention. Despite all appeals of human rights’ organizations and foreign diplomats, seriously ill Mamedov was not released.

Chief Editor of “Tolishi sado” daily was sentenced to ten-year imprisonment in summer 2008 and charged with treason against the state, namely cooperation with Iranian secret services.

http://news.am/en/news/2706.html

I think its time for Iran to get more involved with encouraging a Talish movement in Azerbaijan, don't you?

[Federate]

Re: Armenia and the information war

Government Vows To Guard Against Cyber Attacks


Authorities in Armenia are working to boost the security of various government websites suffering increasingly damaging attacks by Azerbaijani and other hackers, a senior official said on Tuesday.
Cyber attacks on Armenian websites, especially those belonging to state structures, appear to have been on the rise of late. The website of the State Revenue Committee was their most recent target. It was defaced and disabled by August 10 by hackers that posted on its front page a picture of an Azerbaijani army officer who axe-murdered an Armenian colleague during a NATO training course in Hungary in 2004.

Ara Saghatelian, head of the Center for Public Relations and Information at the Armenian presidential administration, said his body and the National Security Service (NSS) launched recently separate studies of the security of the government websites.

“We are preparing to report the results of that study to our leadership,” he told RFE/RL. “I am more than convinced that within a very short period of time they will entail real and practical steps aimed at enhancing the security of those websites.”

According to Saghatelian, hackers manage to break into Armenian sites because of inadequate safeguards put in place by their designers and Internet service providers. “We have now devised security standards to which any website of a state body must correspond,” he said.

The Armenian government already ordered relevant services to step up Internet security last April. Artsvi Baghramian, a spokesman for the NSS, said the decision led the security body to set up a special Internet task force. It has managed to neutralize some of the cyber attacks in recent months, Baghramian told RFE/RL.

Garegin Chukaszian, an Internet expert who advises the government on the development of information technology in Armenia, believes that the authorities need to come up with a more comprehensive plan of tackling the problem. “An attack [on a website] occurs and we patch it up,” he said. “Then another attack occurs and we patch it up again.”

“There is no approach that would enable us to have full information about what’s going on in cyberspace and prepare for that accordingly,” added Chukaszian.

Ruben Muradian, a deputy director of the Internet firm SmartTech in charge of cyber security, agreed. “Unfortunately, it has to be said that in Armenia that task is left to the enthusiasm and skills of individuals,” he said.

Saghatelian insisted, however, that all the actions planned or taken by the authorities against hacker attacks stem from a strategy of ensuring Armenia’s “information security” approved by the government earlier this year.

http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/1802622.html