Info Wars: DDoS Attacks On Major Websites
DDoS wars are raging across the Internet since the Wikileak’s CableGate saga began. The website, currently at www.wikileaks.ch, is reportedly receiving 3000 Visits Per Second! Now, most people dont personally know the type of individual that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange might be (though he does come across as quite creepy!), but this is the first time that most people are witnessing an international attempt to censor a website that is dedicated to transparency, using computers and internet technology tools to carry out cyber-attacks. Here is a snapshot of who is going down in this Information-War…
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are carried out using a tool called the Low Orbit Ion Canon(LOIC). Users need only to provide a “command and control address” into the software and their computer gets connected to an ever-growing “Botnet” that carries out the DDoS attack on a website to make it unavailable. [*UPDATE*09/12/2010 – There is a JavaScript version now available which only requires a browser and no installation at all. This means that DDoS attacks can now be launched from a mobile phone!]
The following well-known websites have been affected so far:
Click On Images To Enlarge.
29/11/10 – Wikileaks.org
4/12/10: ThePayPalblog.com
6/12/10 – Postfinance.ch
6/12/10 – AnonOps.net
7/12/10 – Aklagare.se
7/12/10 – EveryDNS.com
7/12/10 – Lieberman.senate.gov
8/12/10 – Advbyra.se
8/12/10 – Sarahpac.com
8/12/10 – Mastercard.com
9/12/10 – VISA.com
9/12/10 – PayPal.com
Useful LINKS:
Look through the internet news and you soon realise there is a raging InfoWar! Check these links to get a better understanding of the ongoing information cyber war:
- CNET – Funny AUDIO podcast, starting about 32 mins into the show: http://crave.cnet.co.uk/podcast/cnet-uk-podcast-205-a-comedy-of-legal-errors-50000992/
- Slashdot http://it.slashdot.org/story/10/09/18/2016207/DDoS-From-4chan-Hits-MPAA-and-Anti-Piracy-Website
- Mashable: http://mashable.com/2010/09/18/4chan-mpaa-ddos-attack/
- Softpedia 1: http://news.softpedia.com/news/4Chan-Coordinated-DDoS-Attack-Brings-MPAA-Website-Down-156944.shtml
- Softpedia 2: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Anonymous-Attacks-Second-Law-Firm-Involved-in-Copyright-Litigations-157875.shtml
- Softpedia 3: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Law-Firm-Attacked-as-4Chan-DDoS-Campaign-Continues-157470.shtml
- Geek.com: http://www.geek.com/articles/news/4chan-forces-aiplex-and-mpaa-websites-offline-with-ddos-attack-20100918
- TorrentFreak 1: http://torrentfreak.com/4chan-ddos-takes-down-mpaa-and-anti-piracy-websites-100918/
- TorrentFreak 2: http://torrentfreak.com/4chan-to-ddos-riaa-next-is-this-the-protest-of-the-future-100919/
- TorrentFreak 3: http://torrentfreak.com/new-4chan-ddos-targets-hated-anti-piracy-law-firm-100922/
- TorrentFreak 4: http://torrentfreak.com/ddos-takes-down-aussie-anti-pirates-and-8000-other-sites-100928/
- TechCrunch: http://techcrunch.com/2010/09/19/riaa-attack/
- ITnews.com.au 1: http://www.itnews.com.au/News/232642,web-turns-ddos-on-anti-piracy-groups.aspx
- ITnews.com.au 2: http://www.itnews.com.au/News/233573,operation-payback-directs-ddos-attack-at-afact.aspx
- ZDnet: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/igeneration/mpaa-down-riaa-next-an-e-protest-over-piracy/6217
- Emergeinvest: http://www.emerginvest.com/Source/TechCrunch/2010/9/19/riaa-goes-offline-joins-mpaa-as-latest-victim-of-successful-ddos-attacks.html
- Examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/technology-in-national/after-mpaa-attack-4chan-group-takes-down-riaa-site
- The Register 1: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/09/20/4chan_ddos_mpaa_riaa/
- The Register 2: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/09/22/acs_4chan/
- The Register 3: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/09/22/4chan_spikes_tea_party/
- The Register 4: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/09/24/piracy_threat_lawyers_withstand_ddos/
- Tech.spreadit.org: http://tech.spreadit.org/mpaa-website-down-4chan-ddos-attack/
- BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11371315
- Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68J09F20100920
- CNET: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20016961-83.html
- Arstechnica: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/09/4chan-tries-to-change-life-outside-the-basement-via-ddos-attacks.ars
- Techradar: http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/4chan-targets-mpaa-riaa-and-aiplex-with-ddos-attacks-717999
- Gizmodo: http://gizmodo.com/5642948/4chan-brings-down-riaa-and-mpaas-websites
- Techiebuzz: http://techie-buzz.com/tech-news/4chan-riaa-mpaa-ddos.html
- Sophos: http://www.sophos.com/blogs/chetw/g/2010/09/19/4chan-takes-mpaa-riaa-aiplex-wins/
- Slyck 1: http://www.slyck.com/news.php?story=2055
- Slyck 2: http://www.slyck.com/story2057_New_Slurry_of_DoS_Attacks_Against_Aiplex
CHECK BACK HERE FOR UPDATES…
8/12/10 – Sarahpac.com
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