Hackers allegedly take over airport screens to blast insults about the South China Sea
Flight information screens at two of Vietnam's major airports had to go dark last week, after hackers took over and displayed insulting messages about Vietnam in relation to its territorial claims over the South China Sea, Vietnamese state media reported.
Airport authorities had to switch off the screens and sound systems at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, respectively, the online outlet VnExpress said.
While airport staff scurried to secure the IT systems, Vietnam Airlines' website was also hacked on Friday afternoon. Its content was replaced by an image listing China's claims in the South China Sea, as well as a link to a 100 MB Excel file containing the names, dates of birth and addresses of some 400,000 Vietnam Airlines frequent flier members.
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The site was back to normal several hours later.
China is locked in a long-running argument with a number of Southeast Asian nations over much of the maritime territory in the South China Sea, and local reports have pinned the attacks on Chinese hacking group 1937CN, which they say claimed responsibility on the Vietnam Airlines site.
This image has been circulating on Weibo:
1937CN, however, told Chinese publication the Global Times on Sunday that it "neither admits nor denies" involvement, adding that it did not want to be implicated in "political gossip."
Vietnamese media quoted Vice Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat as saying the incidents did not affect the security or air traffic control at the airports.
Chinese anger regarding the South China Sea has escalated in recent weeks. Earlier this month, an international tribunal issued a ruling in favor of the Philippines that invalidated China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea. Vietnam also has overlapping claims to parts of the sea, which is rich in natural resources.
There was a scandal last week involving a Vietnam border official allegedly scribbling "f**k you" on a Chinese woman's passport as she entered the country.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
Victoria Ho is Mashable's Asia Editor, based in Singapore. She previously reported on news and tech at The Business Times, TechCrunch and ZDNet. When she isn't writing, she's making music with her band
