Hackers attack Government Web site

Computer crackers broke into the British government's Web site for the European single currency this Sunday, posting insulting messages about the Queen of England.

The Web site -- www.euro.gov.uk -- was defaced early on Sunday and remained inaccessible as of Monday morning.

In a message posted to the Web site, the crackers claimed that English men took greater interest in soccer than their women, and condemned the Queen's birthday celebrations.

The defacement comes at a point of financial weakness for Europe's single currency, the Euro, and when the UK government is debating whether to join other European countries in the single currency.

The group of computer crackers claiming responsibilitty for the defacement, Prime Suspectz, are thought to have been behind break-ins at a number of Web sites in recent weeks. They are known to use well publicised weaknesses in Microsoft's NT operating system and its Web serving software IIS.

The treasury, which maintains the Web site, was investigating the attack and unavailable for comment at time of posting.

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