The Department of State Services, DSS, said today that its
investigations indicates that the APC had plans to hack into the
database of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
From NAN:
DSS said it had uncovered lists containing names and photographs of
security personnel, foreigners and minor/under-aged on the registered
members list of the All Progressive Congress (APC). Also , there was
an elaborate and well articulated plan to inflate the party's
membership data as well as hack into INEC's voter registration
database. The spokesperson of DSS, Marilyn Ogar, disclosed this on
Wednesday at a news conference in Abuja.
Ogar also said that video with tutorial for hacking was also uncovered
when the service raided a building in Lagos.
She displayed the lists and other items recovered from the building to newsmen.
She also alleged that the APC filled forms without passport
photographs, books containing names of people with phone numbers and
many envelopes containing passport photographs of people were also
recovered.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that operatives of the
service raided the building at No. 10, Bola Ajibola St., Ikeja, Lagos
state, on Nov. 24, 2014, following a tip-off.
"We suspect that there was an elaborate and well articulated plan to
inflate the party's membership data as well as hack into INEC's voter
registration database,'' the spokesperson said.
According to her, this was done through the creation of the party's
membership forms and cards to match INEC's voters register across the
country.
Ogar said that the video of 21 hacking tutorials, ``a temporary voter
card, a permanent voter card'' were also recovered.
"The tutorial video focused on the following areas: How to become a
hacker and steps to take to avoid detection in the process of hacking
web services.
"Steps and procedures of system hacking, passwords cracking,
decrypting, escalating access privileges and creating backdoors to
servers,'' she said.
Ogar also said that the tutorial clearly explained how to evade
security of database such as ``Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS),
firewalls and other measures put in place to deter backers''.
She said the video also outlined ways to identify vulnerabilities in
systems and how to cleverly drop a USB flash drive in a target
establishment.
She alleged that the drive, when plugged into any commuter, could
transmit ``malicious codes enough to gain access into and compromise
the entire system of the target organisation''.
"The video explains how to hack into the systems of media houses with
the aim of broadcasting fake stories or headlines,'' she said.
Ogar said that suspects arrested in connection with the raid had been
charged to court, while investigation had begun.
She promised to update the public with further developments.
Responding to questions, Ogar said the service had written to the
security agencies whose personnel were found on the APC register to
investigate their involvement and take necessary actions. (NAN)
