State Governments Targeted by Ongoing Hacking Spree Perpetrated by LGBTQ+ Furry Hackers

• A group of hackers known as SiegedSec, who identifies as “gay furries,” has recently been engaged in targeted cyber attacks on several US state governments.
• Their most recent attack was on Texas, with a specific focus on anti-trans legislation.
• Although their actions align with hacktivism, the group refers to themselves as “black hat” hackers.

A group called SiegedSec, consisting of gay furry hackers, recently conducted cyber attacks on state governments, targeting Texas and other states. These attacks resulted in the release of substantial amounts of data.

While the motive behind the attacks on the other states was not explicitly stated, a previous leak of 180 gigabytes of data from the government in Fort Worth, Texas, indicated their opposition to the state’s ban on gender-affirming care.

Furries are individuals who have an interest in or identify with anthropomorphic or animated animals.

Their message on the SiegedSec Telegram chat stated, “Texas happens to be one of the largest states banning gender-affirming care, and for that, we have made Texas our target. Fuck the government! We easily hijacked their administrator account~ 😀 The files leaked include work orders, employee lists, invoices, police reports, emails between employees/contractors, internal documents, camera footage, and much more~!”

In 2023, Texas alone introduced 65 anti-trans bills, of which four have passed. South Carolina and Nebraska each introduced five anti-trans bills, with one passing in each state. Additionally, Pennsylvania introduced three bills, one of which limits trans students’ participation in public school sports.

The leader of SiegedSec, known as Vio, emphasized that their group’s mission is to “have fun and cause chaos.” They also confirmed their identity and involvement in the data breaches.

SiegedSec targeted various entities in the government and large corporations of several countries, including Cuba, Colombia, China, the Philippines, and Russia. They began their coordinated attacks in February 2022.

In late November, SiegedSec announced their retirement but returned to their “hacktivities” in February, claiming they were motivated by the joy and chaos they bring.

Some expressed concern that the group’s actions could harm random individuals, not just the targeted governments. Vio acknowledged this, but emphasized that they are a “black hat” group rather than hacktivists, meaning their hacking is not driven by activism.

Despite criticism and skepticism about their motivations, Vio clarified that their goal was not to expose or cause significant damage but rather to make the government aware of their motivations and inspire protests. The Pennsylvania attorney general’s office and other government offices targeted by SiegedSec did not report any significant impact from the attacks.