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BBC Hijacks 22,000 PCs In Botnet Demonstration

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the yeah-demo-that-please-sure dept.

An anonymous reader writes "'[The BBC] managed to acquire its own low-value botnet — the name given to a network of hijacked computers — after visiting chatrooms on the internet. The programme did not access any personal information on the infected PCs. If this exercise had been done with criminal intent it would be breaking the law. But our purpose was to demonstrate botnets' collective power when in the hands of criminals.' The BBC performed a controlled DDoS attack, 'then ordered its slave PCs to bombard its target site with requests for access to make it inaccessible.'"

3 of 457 comments (clear)

  1. Breaking the law by qoncept · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If this exercise had been done with criminal intent it would be breaking the law.

    Ok, so, I don't know much about the laws, but it is illegal, isn't it?

    --
    Whale
  2. Skewed views of the law by grayn0de · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Way to go, BBC. You have moved past bringing the populace breaking news stories to creating them! I am looking forward to the next headline, regarding this. I think we all agree that gaining unauthorized access to another computer is, not only unethical, but illegal. I am surprised, being that this article is on slashdot, now, that the BBC is not already feeling the ramifications of its actions. I highly doubt they asked everyone in those chat rooms: "Hi, we are from the BBC, we would like to pwn your computer in the name of exposing cyber security risks. Is this okay, with you? Great, Thanks!"

  3. Re:why use botnet by N1AK · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I wrote about this story on my site and submitted it to The Reg at 10:20 this morning when I read the story on their website. Now its been aired on TV it seems to be getting a lot of coverage. I added an update a few minutes ago covering the two areas of the Computer Misuse Act that are likely to be quoted quite a bit in the debate about the legality.

    I find it amazing that something this dubious was allowed to get all the way to airing without someone at the BBC having a hissy fit. Perhaps they have received legal advice that said it was legit?

    As an aside, if I had wanted to submit my page to Slashdot is there a way I could of done it that (assuming it got published) wouldn't result in my host wishing a painful death upon me? I didn't change it partly because it's a short write up and partly for that reason.