Cyberwar

A loose coalition of Islamist hackers has defaced several French websites in response to "OpCharlieHebdo," a cyber operation launched by Anonymous hackers late last week after the attacks that killed 12 people at the office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

In the last few days, "tens" of hacking groups have started claiming responsibility "for religiously motivated defacements," according to Helmi Noman, a researcher with the Berkman Center at Harvard University and the Citizen Lab at University of Toronto. These defacements seem the latest development in an ongoing online spat between Islamist and pro-Western hacktivists.

"Since the story about Charlie Hebdo broke," Noman told Mashable, "many groups, many of which have no previous activity, have emerged online claiming responsibility for defacing websites in support of prophet Mohammed."

Islamist hackers deface French sites in response to'Operation Charlie Hebdo'