Cyber Criminals Tying Up Emergency Phone Lines Through TDoS Attacks, DHS Warns

tsamsoniw writes "Emergency-service providers and other organizations are being targeted with TDoS (telephony denial of service) attacks, according to a security alert (PDF) from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, obtained by security expert Brian Krebs. TDoS attacks use high volumes of automated calls to tie up target phone systems, halting incoming and outgoing calls. Perpetrators are using the attacks to extort cash from target organizations, who receive a call from a representative from a purported payday loan company, who demands payment of $5,000 for an outstanding debt — usually speaking in an unspecified 'strong accent.'"

Comments

Re:Police, Fire Brigade, Truncheon, Axe...

[Dishevel]

And we'd all love to have the government decide who gets to have a PC, wouldn't we?

You do not have to go through all that.
Simply bring back the command line. Have people run Linux. Make the computers a little more difficult to use. Just a little.
Make them think a tiny bit when hooking up to the internet. Daily.
Even if you removed licensing for cars the percentage of people that would go on the road with NO ability to drive would be small.
The number of people with no fucking clue how to read or not click a link that travel the information super highway is STAGGERING!
Make the barrier to entry higher and all will benefit.