Computer hackers targeted Dana White Thursday by gaining access to the UFC president’s personal information and posting it online.
This came hours after White issued a challenge to anonymous internet hackers who are against the proposed anti-piracy SOPA and PIPA bills in the United States — legislation that White and the UFC have openly given their support to.
Hackers took over ufc.com on Sunday where they redirected the company’s URL to a protest website.
White responded to that by issuing a challenge to the hackers.”I’m not afraid of you,” White told media following the UFC on FOX 2 pre-fight press conference. “So you want to keep hacking our site? Go for it. Watch what happens. You’re hurting yourself.”
The hackers accepted White’s challenge by posting his personal contact information, social security number and information from credit checks and background checks online and hacking into ufc.com for a second time. This time they reportedly gained access to files within the company’s website.
This had fans worried about their personal information being jeopardized, since many purchase UFC pay-per-views through the website as well as pay to be members of the UFC Fight Club.
White ensured fans that their personal information is secure and that there is nothing for them to be worried about since these cyber attackers aren’t interested in credit card fraud, according to White.
“(Fans’ credit card info) is all safe,” White said. “That was their thing, too: ‘You don’t care about (credit card information).’ Go play games with somebody else. It’s all a game. We have a serious system over at our place.”
In recent years, White and the UFC have successfully used legal action to take down several websites that stream UFC pay-per-views illegally. White has said that the UFC will continue these efforts.
“The only thing that we’re focused on is piracy. Piracy is stealing,” White told mmajunkie.com. “If you walk into a store and you steal a gold watch, it’s the same as stealing a pay-per-view. I don’t care what your twisted, demented idea of stealing is … Kids who grew up on the Internet never had to pay for anything, so they don’t think that you should have to.”
Despite their business being interfered with, the UFC continues to put on events and the next one, UFC on FOX 2, takes place Saturday and can be seen live on Sportsnet.
Preliminary action begins at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT on Sportsnet ONE and the main card can be seen on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific at 8 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT.
