CTV Winnipeg: Pro-Palestinian hackers take over former Premier Heather Stefanson’s Instagram account
The hack comes amid the Israel-Gaza war that started on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants launched a surprise deadly attack on Israel, which has prompted the country to retaliate against the Gaza Strip – leading to massive civilian casualties on both sides of the conflict.
Stefanson, in her role as premier, has said the province stands with Israel and condemns the Hamas attack, saying in a statement on Oct. 7 (the day of the initial attack) that she fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself.
These kinds of hacks are not uncommon, according to David Gerhard, the head of computer science at the University of Manitoba.
“Often public figures are the target of hackers for a couple reasons,” Gerhard told CTV News. “Because they interact with a lot of people which means they have a wide range, a hacker with a message to send can make that message go to a lot of people.”