KUALA LUMPUR – He may not be entirely sure, but cartoonist-cum-activist Zunar aka Zulkiflee Anwar Alhaque believes that the hacker who attempted to infiltrate an online Asean satirical cartoon exhibition may have been paid.
Zunar said the hacking attempts were detected by the exhibition’s digital team, but it is still uncertain where the hackers are operating from.
“There is a pattern to their attacks, and it looks like it is being conducted by a specific group.
“In other words, an organised attack by a specific group of cybertroopers,” Zunar told The Vibes when contacted.
Additionally, he explained, there usually are one or two attempts to hack or infiltrate their system.
However, because there were multiple attempts, Zunar believes the attack may possibly have come from paid hackers.
Zunar was commenting on a hacker who had attempted to access the server of a website that hosts political cartoons from across the region.
The civil rights activist said the website, craftora.com – currently featuring the Asean Human Rights Cartoon Exhibition – faced attacks from the hacker for two hours earlier today.
The attack took place while the live forum “Cartoonist – Enemy of the State” was in progress.
The forum featured Zunar, and cartoonists Guz Wid from Indonesia and Joshua Cabrera from the Philippines.
“There were people from America who were surprised to hear this. It never happens in their country when they conduct online exhibitions,” he added.
Zunar agreed that this attack may possibly stem from the fact that the exhibition features satirical cartoons from Asean countries, a region known for nations that flout democratic principles and disregard human rights.
“It (the hackers) could be from our country or other Asean nations. This is the first time a satirical cartoon expo in Asean is being held.
“The cartoons on display depict issues that many Asean governments are trying to cover up,” Zunar said.
He explained that if Asean nationals were to visit the site and view the cartoons on display, it would not be difficult for them to understand the issues occurring in the region.
“Now governments have two ways of attacking cartoonists. One via the law, the other through online means,” he said.
Calling for better data protection, Zunar said the conversation on the matter seems focused on laws when there is a need to focus on implementing the legislation at hand.
Only yesterday, Zunar revealed that his phone had been seized by police during an inquiry concerning a cartoon he made depicting the menteri besar of Kedah over the axing of Thaipusam as a state holiday.
“The Asean Human Rights Cartoon Exhibition” is currently hosted online at craftora.com until May 29, featuring 100 cartoon works by 37 cartoonists from the Asean region.
The Vibes is the media partner of the exhibition, of which 13 cartoonists are Malaysians, including Zunar. – The Vibes, May 8, 2021
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