Posted by rdom on February 05, 1998 at 15:30:28:
Mexico rebel supporters hack government home page
MEXICO CITY, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Experts at virtual war, supporters of Mexico's
Zapatista rebels have hacked into a government home page on the Internet and
defaced it with anti-government propaganda.
The home page for Mexico's Finance Ministry (http:/www.shcp.gob.mx) appeared
on Wednesday plastered with pictures of the rebels' revolutionary namesake
Emiliano Zapata.
``We're watching you, big brother!'' one part of the message read in an ironic
reversal of George Orwell's famous phrase warning of government excess.
The phrase ``X-ploit'' appeared beneath a giant yellow face. A ``parental
advisory'' sticker similar to those found on explicit rock-and-roll records
was pasted nearby.
Officials at the ministry could not be reached for comment.
``We belong to no group, we do not belong to the Zapatista Army for National
Liberation, but we are expressing our free expression as Mexicans,'' said the
message, followed by the sign-off ``Zapatista Army for National Liberation.''
The Zapatistas, who launched a brief rebellion in early 1994, pioneered use of
the Internet by a guerrilla group, creating a home page to encourage
international support. The page can be found on http:/www.ezln.org.
Led by the charismatic, pipe-smoking Marcos, the rebels fighting for Indian
rights and democracy have been locked in fruitless peace talks with the
government for more than four years. A tenuous cease-fire has held.
MEXICO CITY, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Experts at virtual war, supporters of Mexico's
Zapatista rebels have hacked into a government home page on the Internet and
defaced it with anti-government propaganda.
The home page for Mexico's Finance Ministry (http:/www.shcp.gob.mx) appeared
on Wednesday plastered with pictures of the rebels' revolutionary namesake
Emiliano Zapata.
``We're watching you, big brother!'' one part of the message read in an ironic
reversal of George Orwell's famous phrase warning of government excess.
The phrase ``X-ploit'' appeared beneath a giant yellow face. A ``parental
advisory'' sticker similar to those found on explicit rock-and-roll records
was pasted nearby.
Officials at the ministry could not be reached for comment.
``We belong to no group, we do not belong to the Zapatista Army for National
Liberation, but we are expressing our free expression as Mexicans,'' said the
message, followed by the sign-off ``Zapatista Army for National Liberation.''
The Zapatistas, who launched a brief rebellion in early 1994, pioneered use of
the Internet by a guerrilla group, creating a home page to encourage
international support. The page can be found on http:/www.ezln.org.
Led by the charismatic, pipe-smoking Marcos, the rebels fighting for Indian
rights and democracy have been locked in fruitless peace talks with the
government for more than four years. A tenuous cease-fire has held.