Computer hackers hit U.S. Muslim Council

By Ahan Kim, Palm Beach Post Washington Bureau
Thursday, November 15, 2001

WASHINGTON -- The American Muslim Council has apologized to more than 10,000 e-mail subscribers after computer hackers broke into the organization's server and sent out thousands of unauthorized, virus-laden messages.

The Washington-based nonprofit organization said it is both embarrassed that "explicit" messages reached subscribers and is upset that the group's primary method of communication was disrupted for more than a week.

"We are at the forefront of supporting the president and the campaign (against terrorism) and bringing the Muslim voice to the debate," said Raymond W. Busch, the council's director of communications. "This put us under a tremendous amount of stress."

The council, established in 1990, promotes the participation of Muslims in politics and public policy throughout the United States and sends e-mailed advisories on issues of interest to its members. The group estimates there are 7 million Muslims in America.

A few days after the group's server was hacked on Nov. 2, a council representative discussed the incident in a meeting with lawyers of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. The FBI is investigating, Busch said.

"If you consider the timing, this is a calculated thing, not a random thing," Busch asserted. There have been reports of harassment of Muslims throughout the United States in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks that are believed to have been orchestrated by Islamic radical Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda terrorist network.

While noting that this is a "sensitive time" for American Muslims, Busch said he is reluctant to label the hack-attack a hate crime.

In an e-mailed "explanation and apology," the council said the hack incident "was a deliberate attempt to discredit and to disable e-mail communications to our members and subscribers."

"Many on our e-mail list were sent large numbers of unauthorized e-mails, and some were described as explicit," the message continued. "We were mortified, and most upset that those on our e-mail lists were inundated with such trash e-mails."

The hackers sent e-mails with the "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" virus, "which attached itself to address books at each destination and was sent upstream and downstream, disrupting everyone," the group said.

"We have changed our e-mail list handlers and all of the latest anti-virus detection and computer security has been provided by the new service provider," the Council's message said.

akim@coxnews.com

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001

Answers

Thanks for posting this. I was wondering why I had a terse alert in my email about the "7 Dwarfs" virus. I thought we had finished with that.

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001