Slashdot Mirror
Alleged Proprietors of 'DDOS For Hire' Service vDOS Arrested (krebsonsecurity.com)
Long-time Slashdot reader pdclarry writes: Brian Krebs reports that the two youthful (18-year-old) alleged proprietors of vDOS, the DDOS service have been arrested in Israel on a complaint from the FBI. They have been released on $10,000 bond each, their passports lifted, and they have been placed under house arrest, and banned from using the Internet for 30 days. They were probably identified through a massive hack of the vDOS database recently [reported Friday morning on Slashdot].
Krebs also reports that vDOS's DNS addresses were hijacked by the firm BackConnect Security to get out from under a sustained DDOS attack, and that his site, krebsonsecurity.com has been under a sustained DDOS attack since his last article was published, with the packets containing the string "godiefaggot". Those attacks continue, but, as he has been the target of many DDOS attacks in the past, he's covered by a DDOS protection firm. The two teenagers coordinated more than 150,000 denial-of-service attacks over the last two years, according to Krebs, using at least four servers in Bulgaria.
Krebs also reports that vDOS's DNS addresses were hijacked by the firm BackConnect Security to get out from under a sustained DDOS attack, and that his site, krebsonsecurity.com has been under a sustained DDOS attack since his last article was published, with the packets containing the string "godiefaggot". Those attacks continue, but, as he has been the target of many DDOS attacks in the past, he's covered by a DDOS protection firm. The two teenagers coordinated more than 150,000 denial-of-service attacks over the last two years, according to Krebs, using at least four servers in Bulgaria.
Actually the guy is a pretty good journalist - unlike most he doesn't just cut and paste from another source and turn up for his paycheque. He's also pretty fearless and done some real investigations. I like him.
I read the article here a couple of days ago where he "outed" the pair and got the impression that vDOS had been active for more than just two years.
Brian Krebs writes that he has obtained the hacked database of an Israeli company that is responsible for most of the large-scale DDoS attacks over the past (at least) 4 years.
They are 18 now? Most of their misdeeds would have been performed as minors, and I'm a bit sceptical that they started when they were (at most) 14.
Mielipiteet omiani - Opinions personal, facts suspect.
So how do you explain the fact they were arrested? Is it so incomprehensible to you that and Israeli may be an asshole without being an agent of the state of Israel?
Shachar
Seriously, I don't get the hate Krebs seems to get from the general public. The guy does in-depth analysis of different criminal rings and scams and posts in scathing detail on his website. If he was so ineffectual or not a big deal, you wouldn't have these criminal rings constantly trying to take him down. Whether its targeted attacks on his website or even attacks against him personally (some of his enemies even tried to frame him for possession of heroin but Krebs discovered and foiled the plot), they obviously don't like the light he's throwing on the whole shady scene. More power to him and I can't wait to see what he reveals next.
Krebs also reports that vDOS's DNS addresses were hijacked by the firm BackConnect Security to get out from under a sustained DDOS attack
According to the article it was a BGP (ie IP address) hijacking not a DNS hijacking. DNS isn't even mentioned at all in the article aside from a phone number in a domain registration found to match one obtained from the hack.
I will say one thing in your favor. Your inability to distinguish private and state actors isn't limited to Israel.
The US did not spot them. A security researcher did.
Shachar
The point is, it is not a small crime. This wasn't a couple of kids with a can of spray paint. They were running a criminal enterprise for an extended period of time, causing damage to many businesses and individuals.
Several years in prison is appropriate, and would send the correct message.