Key facts
- Brazil's government suspects a hacking attack caused an unauthorized alert to be sent to cell phones.
- The alert, which contained the word "misanthropy," was sent early Saturday morning.
- The national citizens' notification system was taken offline following the incident.
- The Federal Police will investigate the remote-ordered alert.
- The notification system is expected to be restored soon.
Brazil's government is investigating a suspected hacking attack that caused an unauthorized alert to be sent to cell phones across parts of the country early Saturday. The National Protection and Civil Defense Secretariat stated that the country's citizens' notification system was taken offline at approximately 1:30 a.m. local time (0430 GMT) after a message containing the word "misanthropy," meaning hatred of humanity, was distributed to users in several states.