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Anti-crime website defaced by hackers

Attempts by hackers to compromise the online security of millions of Britons have seen a government website defaced, it has been revealed.

Last Sunday, online criminals disabled the Home Office's crime reduction website and tried to obtain the bank details of an estimated 20 million consumers.

The internet security breach saw the site superimposed with a page from Italian financial services provider Poste, Contractor UK reports.

In attempting to instigate large-scale ID theft the hackers then emailed people masquerading as Poste, telling them to visit the website and enter their details on the page as part of an account update.

Security expert Jacques Erasmus told the Mail on Sunday said: "This seems to be hackers sticking two fingers up at the government."

After the breach, the Home Office is reported to have undergone a review of its online security standards.

Earlier this year, the Walls Street Journal reported on the exposure of two hackers who claimed to have "taken down" Comcast and compromised the online security of the website by redirecting visitors to a portal which they control, leaving people unable to access their emails.

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