Boston police site among those hacked

BOSTON -- A group associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement is claiming responsibility for attacks on police and government websites across the world -- including posting a 15 minute confidential phone conversation between the FBI and Scotland Yard.

A group that calls itself Anonymous and claims association with the Occupy movement says it’s behind the cyber attacks.

The Boston Police Department was among the websites hacked on Friday. People are being redirected from the department’s website, BPDNews.com, to the department’s Facebook page.

These bold cyber attacks drew anger from onetime Occupy supporter and Boston Mayor, Thomas Menino.

“They’re about showboats. They want to cause trouble, but there’s nothing that results out of those troubles…this hacking, we have to change our whole system now,” said Menino. “It’s a concern…If they can hack that, what else can they hack?”

After the hacking, the Boston Police Department’s website was replaced with a message that read, “Anonymous attacks Boston Police website in retaliation for police brutality at OWS.” OWS refers to the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Last October, Anonymous attacked a Boston patrolman’s association website complaining about arrests at Occupy Boston, even stealing officers’ passwords and publishing private information.

Boston is just one of several U.S. police departments hit this time. Others include Salt Lake City, where secret tipster information was released.

Menino says the Occupy protesters are hurting their own cause.

“What they’re doing now doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. You want to talk about equality, talk about housing, education; I’m with them all the way. But hacking into computer systems and public safety agencies, that’s wrong,” said Menino.

Menino says the hackers didn’t get any confidential information from the BPD News website. He said preparing for another cyber attack will take time, effort and money -- money from taxpayers -- the kind of people the Occupy movement says it wants to support.

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