Tupac hoax posted on US site

PBS officials say hackers have cracked the network's Web site, posting a phony story claiming dead rapper Tupac Shakur was alive in New Zealand, reports the Associated Press.

The group that claimed responsibility for the hacking also complained about a recent 'Frontline' investigative news programme on WikiLeaks.

PBS confirmed on Monday that the Web site had been hacked. The phony story had been taken down as of Monday morning. It had been posted on the site of the 'PBS NewsHour' programme, which is produced by WETA-TV in Arlington, Virginia.

Activity on social networking site Twitter reached a peak following the false news that famed rapper Shakur has been found alive and well in New Zealand, notes TVNZ.

A grateful TCadillac shared: “Some black told me that Tupac back. Thank god.” An ecstatic THATdamnRAE said “MY MAMA SAY THEY ARRESTED TUPAC IN F**** NEW ZEALAND!!!!!!!”-lmao seriously? Told yall he was ALIVE!”

The news angered some. “Why ppl keep making up lies about everybody...they didn't find tupac alive!” said Bre_NothinLess.

In a separate incident, the US defence contractor Lockheed Martin said on Saturday that it was investigating a “significant and tenacious attack on its information systems network” that took place on 21 May, writes AFP.

It did not mention the suspected source of the cyber-attack, but said its security team had detected the attack almost immediately and taken “aggressive actions” to protect all systems and data.