Seven hours. That was how long the Malaysia Airlines website was down on Monday after it was hacked by a group called "Cyber Caliphate".

The airline was quick to assure the public that its data servers remained intact and passenger bookings were not affected.

Cyber Caliphate is a hacker group that claims to be associated with the Islamic terror group ISIS.  The group behind the hacking of U.S. Central Command's Twitter and YouTube accounts earlier this month also called themselves Cyber Caliphate.

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Hacker group Lizard Squad also claimed to have taken down Xbox Live and the Sony Playstation Network last month. It is unclear though if the two groups are actually linked.

Users logging on to the MAS website found a photograph of a lizard, in a top hat, monocle and tuxedo.  Messages "404-Plane Not Found" and "Hacked by Lizard Squad - Official Cyber Caliphate" also popped out.  A rap song was also played.

In its official Twitter account, MAS acknowledged the technical glitch its website was experiencing, and appealed for the public's patience.  Several hours later, it tweeted, assuring passengers the airline's user data is secured. 

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, MAS confirmed its Domain Name System (DNS) has been compromised, redirecting users to a hacker site once the website is accessed. 

The company said it has reported the incident to the CyberSecurity Malaysia and the Ministry of Transport.

Lizard Squad responded through a tweet that said it was "going to dump some loot found on malaysiaairlines.com server soon".  It also posted a link to a screenshot of what appears to be a copy of a passenger's flight booking.

Malaysian Amy Keh, who claimed to have placed the booking in October for her mother and two relatives, is now worried for their safety.

"I am a bit worried about their security. Now the whole world knows that they will be going to Taipei," said Keh. 

Malaysia Airlines is still reeling from last year's loss of its two flights. Flight MH370 disappeared in March with 239 people on board; Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine in July, killing all 298 passengers and crew.

TagsCyber Caliphate, hacking, Malaysia Airlines, ISIS