TV5Monde cyberattack and consequences for Wikimedia projects
The TV5Monde cyberattack which happpened earlier this month (April 2015), which was allegedly carried out by the hacker group CyberCaliphate and took out w:TV5Monde's web presence as well as disrupting its brodcasting service for about one day is rising some questions, mainly if there are implications for Wikimedia projects. It cannot be ruled out that Wikipedia as a purposely neutral medium of information to the public in all over the world potentially is a target to cyber attacks and other hacking attempts.
Though some of these questions may affect security relevant information which should not disclosed to the public these questions include:
- Are Wikimedia projects' server data and web presence best-possibly protected against cyberattacks like that which affected TV5Monde?
- Is sensible user data reasonable protected from access in case hackers would successful intrude Wikimedia's servers, including such attacks carried out by intelligence service of such countries in which such information could likely be used to suppress non-ruling opinion or to track or pursue people opposing the ruling regime?
Basically the question to the Wikimedia Foundation is: How safe is Wikipedia, its sisterprojects, and how safe are its users? --Matthiasb (talk) 18:24, 14 April 2015 (UTC)