As targets go, a website providing information on bus schedules in the west of England seems like an unlikely one for a group of self-proclaimed Muslim hackers.
Yet in a plot worthy of Four Lions – the satirical 2010 film about a group of hapless homegrown jihadists – the TravelWest website was brought down for a few hours over the new year period, apparently following an attack by hackers styling themselves as Arab Security Team.
TravelWest announced it was working to restore its services after its homepage was replaced with a black backdrop featuring Islamic writing and the legend “Hacked by Darkshadow”. The hack also bore the words “Arab Security Team” and “Muslim hackers”, as well as the address of a Facebook page which suggested the group was based in Tunis and had been behind hacks of other targets including evangelical Christian organisations and airlines.
Arab Security Team’s Facebook page became the focus for travel queries from members of the public . “What time is the number 8 to the town centre?” asked Jake Bradley. Richard Moore wrote: “These idiots are the laughing stock of the world. Are the buses running today?”
On Friday the TravelWest site, operated by the West of England Partnership in association with a number of local authorities, was up and running again, although its listing on Google results still bore the scars of the attack in the form of Darkshadow’s details.