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Online Attack Hits US Government Web Sites

Posted by Soulskill on from the world-war-three-point-oh dept.

angry tapir writes "A botnet composed of about 50,000 infected computers has been waging a war against US government Web sites and causing headaches for businesses in the US and South Korea. The attack started Saturday, and security experts have credited it with knocking the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC's) web site offline for parts of Monday and Tuesday. Several other government Web sites have also been targeted, including the Department of Transportation."

3 of 199 comments (clear)

  1. Counter attack by gubers33 · · Score: 0, Troll

    The best defense is always a good offense. Why not launch an attack on North Korea? We have far more advanced technology and could probably cause more damage to them than they could cause to us. If we are crippling their systems, they won't be able to attack ours. I would love to see our government take off the gloves in the cyber world for a change rather than always invading everyone.

    --
    Just because you are wrong and I called you out on it doesn't mean I am a Troll.
    1. Re:Counter attack by mcgrew · · Score: 1, Troll

      Attention mods: "Troll" does NOT mean "I disagree with this post." Even though I personall disagree with the parent, it is NOT a troll and should be modded to at least where it was before some asshat modded it down.

      This (my) comment is offtopic and should be modded as such. God, I miss meaningful metamoderation, there used to be far less of this crap.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
  2. Aiding and abetting? by starglider29a · · Score: 1, Troll

    Whenever some whacko grabs a gun and kills a bunch of people, the hew and cry is for "gun control". When someone takes a computer and attacks government sites, and other important infrastructural servers, where is the cry for "Computer control?"

    Why are people who harbor botnets not as guilty as those who harbor criminal and terrorists? If you let someone use your garage to store gasoline/petrol for Molotov Cocktails, you'd be arrested.

    What was the OS and browser of the botnetted collaborators? Wouldn't it be fun if the FBI knocked on the doors of those whose machines were "hijacked*" and brought their computers in for questioning?


    *I use the phrase 'hijacked' loosely. If a person leaves the car running, the keys in the ignition and the windows down (pun intended), can they say that their car was 'stolen'?