French network’s channels hacked by group claiming IS ties

PARIS — A French television network has been hacked by people claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The hackers briefly cut transmission of 11 channels belonging to TV5 Monde and took over its websites and social media accounts. The channel’s director, Yves Bigot, said Thursday morning the attack was continuing. He told RTL radio that the network has restored its signal but can only broadcast recorded programs.

He said he was shaken when he saw 11 channels with a black screen “and when we discovered the sense of the message appearing on our social media and our websites, it both allowed us to understand what was happening and obviously worried us.”

The message on the TV5 Monde website read in part “I am IS” with a banner by a group that called itself Cybercaliphate.

The Islamic extremist group has claimed complex hackings before, but the seizure of the French network appeared to be a new step in its information warfare tactics.