A group identifying as “Gay Furry Hackers,” called SiegedSec, has claimed responsibility for hacking the online platform of the conservative Heritage Foundation, known for their right-wing initiative Project 2025. The attack was part of a series of cyber assaults targeting organizations that oppose transgender rights.
On Wednesday, SiegedSec released materials from the Heritage Foundation, labeling Project 2025 as “The authoritarian plan of Christian nationalists to reform the US government” on their Telegram post. This action was part of the #optransrights campaign, which previously targeted conservative media outlets such as Real America’s Voice, Hillsong Megaskovs, and a Pastor in Minnesota.
In the preface of the Project 2025 manifesto, President of the Heritage Foundation Kevin Roberts criticized the normalization of gender and transgender ideology propaganda. The plan urges the next conservative administration to make changes, including restricting transgender individuals from serving in the military.
In a post on Telegram, SiegedSec stated that they obtained passwords and data from the Heritage Foundation database, including information on Roberts and some US government officials. They claimed the remaining 200 GB of files were mostly insignificant. The Intercept verified copies of the files, which included blog posts and media resources from the Heritage Foundation dating back to November 2022.
This is the second known hacking incident involving the Heritage Foundation this year. In April, the organization experienced a network shutdown after a cyber attack believed to be state-sponsored. Despite not being responsible for the previous attack, SiegedSec targeted the Heritage Foundation once again in early June.
Additionally, SiegedSec has conducted operations against the US nuclear program, NATO, and Israeli companies in protest against the conflict in Gaza.