Phoenix Mars Lander Web site hacked

The Web site for the Phoenix Mars Lander mission was hacked over the weekend with readers of the main news article redirected to an overseas Web site, a spokeswoman for the mission said on Monday.

Someone was able to access the site Friday night and change the "read more" link to connect to an outside site that was in a foreign language, said Sara Hammond, spokeswoman for the mission being led by the University of Arizona. She was not sure what language it was.

Several hours later another attempt to hack the site was made and site administrators took the site down for nine hours to fix the problem, she said. The site was back up on Saturday afternoon.

"We're taking the appropriate steps to identify who it is, and we've improved our security on the site," she said.

The Phoenix Mars Lander vehicle touched down on Sunday and will use a robotic arm to dig through the ground and bring back soil and water samples for analysis. The goal is to study the history of water in the Martian arctic and search for evidence of a habitable zone.

The Web site for the Phoenix Mars Mission was hacked over the weekend.

(Credit: Phoenix Mars Mission)

[n3td3v]

"an outside site that was in a foreign language"

Yes, this shows the USA's ignorance on the world stage, they (University of Arizona) don't have the incentive to find out which language it was in and report on it accurately.

Anyone outside of the American bubble is simply labelled "foreigner", because the majority of you don't even have passports.

Oh it was a foreign language who cares which one, we're the Americans it doesn't matter to us, they all where tea towels on their heads and ride camels everywhere else accept America.

American idiots!!!

All the best,

n3td3v

[wazhere]

n3td3v,

And I defended you on other boards.

Guess you are right, I must be an "American Idiot" for doing that!

[Composer_1777]

We don't need to learn foreign languages, we don't need you, Americans don't care about you because nothing you do affects us. It's not our fault that all other countries are too weak to stand on their own and not get influenced by the United States. Every country owes us , it's not in our interest to care about lesser citizens of the world. Sorry buddy you're not high class in America and we don't give a **** about you. You're ignorant generalizations could be addressed, but then i would be wasting my time on a dumb foreign C**

[icongapp]

...or it could be no one told the spokesperson what the language was...

[n3td3v]

Of course knowing what language the hackers speak in isn't a critical part of the investigation into who done it, and isn't of interest to the general public and mass media in America.

[sandiegodan]

Wow! Did you skip your meds today? And it's "wear" a tea towel, not "where" a tea towel. I thought the rules for posting said no personal attacks. You just verbally attacked the entire US. Do you feel better?

[n3td3v]

You guys leave yourself open to verbal attacks with your stupidity of not caring what language the attackers used.

I think the key part of the story is what the language and country is of the attackers.

Wait, it'll be the chinese, and china... since thats America's number one scape goat cyber enemy.

The secret service told University of Arizona not to release the language of the attackers, until its been OK'd by bush etc that they can fabricate that china done it, to further the U.S's cyber political agenda.

[Dalkorian]

n3td3v is apparently in need of a cookie. That said he does have a point, the language of the 3rd party site would help to lead us to the culprit. I have a feeling "they" know, but aren't releasing the info out of fear of compromising their investigation, but I wouldn't put it past fuhrer bushit to fabricate a story to further his nazi agenda. Still, n3td3v needs to relax a bit, eat a cookie and ponder what he's really that angry about.

[HVIP]

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[KeeganHill]

Well, with n3td3v getting banned in the near future for being offensive and trolling can we get onto the subject of why someone would really want to hack that site of all things? I mean it''s not a challenge, I guess someone really was just that bored. That or someone just isn't a fan of technology and our race exploring Mars.

[bruceslog]

It was the Martians hacking the website - whilst trying to keep their existence a complete secret - because they know that once they are discovered, they will be exploited, and probed, and studied, and put on food stamps, while the strongest among them will be enslaved to help extract all the oil and gold and titanium and silicon on their planet, leaving the place a contaminated, desolate, empty wasteland.

True ? :)

[Composer_1777]

We don't need to learn foreign languages, we don't need you, Americans don't care about you because nothing you do affects us. It's not our fault that all other countries are too weak to stand on their own and not get influenced by the United States. Every country owes us , it's not in our interest to care about lesser citizens of the world. Sorry buddy you're not high class in America and we don't give a **** about you. You're ignorant generalizations could be addressed, but then i would be wasting my time on a dumb foreign C**t .

[searl2112]

You ALL STUPID???? NASA SAID THE ATMOSPHERE WAS 8.5 mbar...ROFL DO YOU ALL THINK A CHUTE WOULD WORK IN NEAR VACUUM??? lol the atmosphere is 824.7 mbar
ANYONE EVER THINK TO ASK WHAT THE OFFICAL READINGS FOR MARS ATMOSPHERE IS? OR ARE YOU ALL GOING TO SIT THERE AND THINK YOU KNOW THE ANSWER?

[searl2112]

You ALL READING THIS:???? NASA SAID THE ATMOSPHERE WAS 8.5 mbar...ROFL DO YOU ALL THINK A CHUTE WOULD WORK IN NEAR VACUUM??? Pretty small chute if it was 8.5 mbar lol the atmosphere is 824.7 mbar
ANYONE EVER THINK TO ASK WHAT THE OFFICAL READINGS FOR MARS ATMOSPHERE IS? OR ARE YOU ALL GOING TO SIT THERE AND THINK YOU KNOW THE ANSWER?

[searl2112]

You ALL READING THIS:???? NASA SAID THE ATMOSPHERE WAS 8.5 mbar...ROFL DO YOU ALL THINK A CHUTE WOULD WORK IN NEAR VACUUM??? Pretty small chute if it was 8.5 mbar lol i know fora fact the atmosphere is 824.7 mbar
ANYONE EVER THINK TO ASK WHAT THE OFFICAL READINGS FOR MARS ATMOSPHERE IS? OR ARE YOU ALL GOING TO SIT THERE AND THINK YOU KNOW THE ANSWER?
I WOULD THINK NASA WOULD AT LEAST HAVE A $13 PEPBOYS OXYGEN SENSOR FOR A HONDA ON BOARD ,..... RIGHT?

[benjaminstraight]

Hackers again. Boo.