Central Bank of Kenya website hacked

A segment of the message that showed on the CBK website after it was hacked.

By Judy Nguta

Nairobi, Kenya: The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) website was on Sunday night attacked by hackers claiming to be from Gaza.

The hackers seemed to have targeted the exchange rates section of the site which was flooded with messages in both English and French in a marquee that scrolled through the site.

The Gaza hacker Team posted a message that could be interpreted as threatening the security of an unspecified addressee.

Part of the message read: “…But all your interests and your citizens in all parts of the world will be our legitimate targets! So, if you want the safety of yourselves, possessions and interests from our revenge, Depart all soldiers from our land "Mali"”

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The url to the main site (http://www.centralbank.go.ke) gave a ‘Not Found’ response moments after the attack.

The hacking blocked many visitors from around the world who use the site to access exchange rates information for business or travel purposes.

The site was however restored at around 11pm, hours after the attack.

The CBK is responsible for formulating monetary policy, promoting price stability and issuing currency.

It has its offices in Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi and is headed by Professor Njuguna Ndung'u as the governor.

Last year, an Indonesian hacker took down 103 government websites in an overnight attack, raising the country's concern over the security of its information.