ISIS Hacks Oakville-based website

By: Laura Steiner

Oakville resident Ibrahaim Daynal had a room to rent.  He placed an ad on Kijiji to fill it.  Graham Hickey of International Students- Canada (IS-Canada) contacted him.  Hickey’s agency is dedicated to supporting international students during their studies here.

Daynal tried bringing up his  organization’s website.  That’s when a message appeared on a black screen announcing the site had been hacked by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).  “This is something very scary.  ISIS supporters have started attacking websites,” Daynal said in a phone interview.  Daynal contacted Hickey on the evening of January 7, 2015 after he noticed it.

Hickey’s website host is GoDaddy.  “No private information was stolen, lost, or revealed to the hacker,” he revealed in an email. The website is content-driven.  The provider tells him the attack may have occurred because of a vulnerability in the tools within the content management software.  They are in the process of updating their hosting arrangements.

Hickey ended his email by assuring the public of his company’s continuing commitment. “IS-Canada will continue to provide unmatched support for International students in the Halton Region.”