FBI probes hacking of Christian school website

The FBI has joined the probe into the hacking of a Christian school website in Virginia, the third organisation in the area to be victimised this year.

Last Sunday, the Greenbrier Christian Academy was hacked by a group which posted pro-Islamic messages on the site while Maroon 5's Payphone played in the background.

In place of the school's information, the hackers posted a green biohazard symbol with the words "Memberal Force" and "We are: Banten Cyber Defacer Team and Muslim Cyber Force."

The hackers also made reference to Israhell" and #OpIsrael, an anti-Israel cyberattack that happened in 2013.

The FBI was called to assist in the investigation to ensure that the hacking was not connected to campaigns by Islamic terrorist organisations.

Christina Pullen, a spokeswoman for the FBI said it is looking into the case, as well as the hacking of two other locally based organisations which took place in recent months.

The Isle of Wight County website and the Colonial Williamsburg History website both fell victim to hackers who operated with the same modus last January and early March. 

In an earlier statement, the FBI assured that they were working to find those responsible for the hacking.

"The FBI will continue to work with our public and private sector partners to identify and hold those accountable who pose a threat in cyberspace," the statement said.

Meanwhile, local authorities believe that local kids are more likely to be the culprits than international terrorists.

"The investigation by the Virginia State Police, the FBI, and the computer company that hosts our site revealed no connection to any Islamic sites. It appears that a malware attack took place during a recent upload of information to our site. According to investigators, these "website defacements" are taking place throughout the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is compiling information regarding these "defacements" and will continue investigations until the perpetrators of these attacks are brought to justice," Superintendent Ron White said in a statement

In an interview, he added that the references to Islam and Palestine were not surprising if the perpetrators want to draw attention to themselves.

"It doesn't surprise me the way things are these days. That's the hot item on the news right now," he said.