Warned of an Attack on the Internet, and Getting Ready

[steve2470]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/31/technology/with-advance-warning-bracing-for-attack-on-internet-by-anonymous.html

SAN FRANCISCO — On a quiet Sunday in mid-February, something curious attracted the attention of the behind-the-scenes engineers who scour the Internet for signs of trouble. There, among the ubiquitous boasts posted by the hacking collective Anonymous, was a call to attack some of the network’s most crucial parts.

The message called it Operation Global Blackout, and rallied Anonymous supporters worldwide to attack the Domain Name System, which converts human-friendly domain names like google.com into numeric addresses that are more useful for computers.

It declared when the attack would be carried out: March 31. And it detailed exactly how: by bombarding the Domain Name System with junk traffic in an effort to overwhelm it altogether.

There was no way to know for sure whether this was a pre-April Fool’s Day hoax or a credible threat. After all, this was Anonymous, a decentralized movement with no leaders and no coherent ideology, but a track record of considerable damage. The call to arms would have to be treated as one would treat a bomb threat called in to a high school football game. The engineers would have to prepare.

[freshwest]

1. I hope this is BS, because it'll lead to more restrictions on users.

[drm604]

2. The worst that would happen is that they'd slow things down, or halt everything, for a short time.

The internet is how anonymous communicates and coordinates. Therefore it's not in their interest to shut it down for a long period.

[onehandle]

3. Yes. Bring down the Internet. Interrupt every day activities and emergency services.

That'll impress the chicks.

[MADem]

6. "But DEWD! It's, like, KEWL!!!!"

I don't see the point, either!

[rhett o rick]

8. I hope that some day soon you will get it. nm

[UnrepentantLiberal]

13. Get what?

Anonymous jumped the shark about a year ago.

[MADem]

15. Get what, pray tell?

If you want me to find vandals "kewl," it won't happen.

Disruption for disruption's sake? Not "kewl" either. Making a mess for sport? No--that won't happen either.

[rhett o rick]

18. Of course I dont want that. To even suggest such is absurd.

I just find it interesting when people are so quick to disparage a group for the actions of some. Do you support wikileaks? Occupy? ACORN? Or are they all too radical for you?

I believe we are in the beginning throes of a global class war like never seen before. Anonymous, loose canons as they are, may be very helpful.

[MADem]

20. I support people and organizations based on their actions, and I do have the ability to parse.

If I think an action is of benefit, I will say so. If I think it's bullshit, childish or disruptive, I can also say so.

You, OTOH, seem to take an "All or Nothing" approach--a "Yer either widdus, or agin' us" POV. You're getting shirty with me because I think this particular action is in the "bullshit, childish or disruptive" column.

You yourself acknowledge that Anonymous are "loose cannons." It's all fun and games until that cannon is pointed straight at you, I suppose. And how can anyone with the power of intelligent thought endorse a "group" when the group isn't like-minded? I wouldn't join the NAACP if there were the odd Klansmen sprinkled throughout the group--by the group's actions (and that includes the actions of those "some" you mention) we shall know them. It's the "some" that are behaving like assholes, too, stealing credit card numbers and reselling them, screwing with organizations used by children and gamers for immature sport, and in general, behaving like antisocials jerks.

What I don't "endorse" is the potential of these petty little flabby-assed vandals to fuck it up for the rest of us--all they're doing is encouraging "the authorities" to become more draconian as regards internet freedom, and that is not a good thing, IMO.

[rhett o rick]

21. So you are calling all of Anon, "petty little flabby-assed vandals", without even knowing any?

You want them to behave themselves because you are afraid that they might make our overlords mad? Good luck with that.

Yes I guess I believe it's an all or nothing fight. When we have thousands of American children dying because our overlords want bigger profits. At some point it has to be all or nothing.

Things are going to get rough, but you go ahead and keep sending in those emails and hoping the corrupted Congress-Critters will read them and change their behavior.

[MADem]

22. Now, I didn't say that--and you CAN read, can't you--so why play that silly game?

Go back and try reading again. My meaning is quite clear, and your creative interpretation is inaccurate.

No one will want to talk to you at all if you make shit up and put words in people's mouths, now, will they? Why even respond at all if all you're going to do is create strawmen and fling shit? I don't care for that kind of foolishness. It's pointless. Life is far too short for "Nanny Nanny Boo Boo" games.

Now, run along and bother your ... er...overlords, or whatever, since they are apparently so important to you. You're plainly uninterested in adult conversation.

[rhett o rick]

23. Apparently I misunderstood and I apologize.

I thought you were disparaging Anonymous. They are a little chaotic, but that may be what we need. If we stick with the status quo, we will die a slow death if we are lucky.

If you think that everything is peachy-keen, bless you and why would I try to burst your bubble.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

12. Chicks?

You play guitar to impress chicks.

[onehandle]

16. I had three different girlfriends (including my wife) who played guitar to impress me.

Ok, they just played guitar in general.

I can play the opening chords of 'Day Tripper.' That's it.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

19. Okay, chicks who play guitar... AWESOME

Love Day Tripper. Love the Beatles, period.

[drm604]

4. Okay. I just read the article.

It sounds like they've beefed things up so as to withstand such an attack. So the end result of this "threat" is that we have a stronger internet, which should help to protect us if a foreign adversary ever tried to shut us down for real.

So, there's likely nothing to be concerned about, and we're now stronger because of it. All good.

[Speck Tater]

5. If the whole Internet crashes on April 1st...

I've got plenty of good books to read.

[sudopod]

9. The internet is useless on April 1st anyway. :3 nt

[Mojorabbit]

7. Well my dsl has been crawling for the past two days

esp today. It is like being on dialup. Frustrating as hell. A friend who also has att called me today with the same complaint. I checked internet speed and I am at 800kps. I hope this is not the cause. I had a headache all day and just could not deal with calling tech support today.

[saras]

10. About as realistic as a cop show on TV

[dipsydoodle]

17. Yup - all about facts

My name's Friday - I'm a cup.

?w=450

[dipsydoodle]

11. So we'll all get a life for a while.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

14. Bite your tongue!

Nothing is more important than what is discussed on this website!