4chan DDoS's some anti-piracy sites.

[EarthySun]

Is it bad that I participated in it after reading the article?

[RpgGamer]

Is it bad that I participated in it after reading the article?

 

prepare to be V&

[krimi]

/b/, truly internet superheroes?

[Howlin0001]

A massive attack on the hosting provider Reality Check Network took down several major BitTorrent sites today. The attack corrupted many servers on the network and at the time of writing TorrentReactor, Vertor and several other torrent sites remain inaccessible. Due to the prolonged downtime, millions of users are having to seek refuge at other torrent sites.

 

A few hours ago, Locke from TorrentFunk sent TorrentFreak some information regarding a massive attack on hosting provider Reality Check Networks that affected several major torrent sites, his one included. Although BitTorrent sites go down all the time for various reasons, the massive blackout witnessed today is quite exceptional.

 

Torrents.net, Vertor.com, Yourbittorrent.com, Torrentfunk.com, Torrenthound.com, Torrentreactor.net, Torrentzap.com, Torrentmatrix.com and Fulldls.com are just 9 sites that are affected by the attack, but it is likely that there are dozens more. The number of visitors for the above mentioned sites ranges from tens of thousands to more than a million a day.

 

According to Reality Check Network the attack took place early Sunday morning. An intruder managed to corrupt the Master Boot Records of several servers the company said, but backups are in place and are expected to be installed as soon as possible.

 

We are writing this letter to inform you that a very targeted malicious attack took place on our network this morning at 6AM EST. As a result, most of our server operating systems have been corrupted resulting in the current downtime, the company wrote to the affected customers a few hours ago.

 

We have access to all backups and have already figured out a strategy for bringing your servers back up, and have all hands on deck working to restore service, Reality Check Network President Moisey Uretsky added.

 

Initially it was unclear who had carried out the attack. Since Reality Check Network hosts quite a few high profile torrent sites, some site owners suspected that it might have been an anti-piracy action, but this was just a hunch.

 

During the last hours Reality Check Network has frequently updated its customers, and according to one of the latest emails the attack is being blamed on a disgruntled ex-employee.

 

It was the result of an ex-employee who was with us for three years as a result he had intimate knowledge of our systems which is why the effects are so large, Uretsky wrote.

 

Regular visitors of the affected torrent sites will probably have to seek refuge at alternative sites as it may take a few more hours before the sites reappear.

Source: http://torrentfreak.com/major-torrent-sites-go-down-after-attack-on-hosting-provider-101017/

 

I don't think that is a good sign.

[Alg]

It was the result of an ex-employee who was with us for three years as a result he had intimate knowledge of our systems which is why the effects are so large, Uretsky wrote.

Hm.

[RpgGamer]

so the war continues?

 

sweet. Go 4chanites, go!

[Furah]

Looks like they're moving up to the big boys now.

 

In recent weeks dozens of anti-piracy groups, copyright lawyers and pro-copyright outfits have been targeted by a group of Internet ‘vigilantes’ under the flag of Operation Payback.

 

The operation began during the third week of September with DDoS assaults against the MPAA, RIAA and anti-piracy company AiPlex Software. The latter was chosen as the first target because the outfit openly admitted to DDoSing several torrent sites including The Pirate Bay.

 

Those DDoS attacks were later replicated against lawfirms engaging in ‘pay-up-or-else’ schemes, which indirectly led to the email leak at ACS:Law. After that followed many more targets, most of which we didn’t cover here. Earlier this week, the MPAA was shamed again by Anonymous when their DRM website got hacked.

 

Yesterday, another high profile attack was launched, aimed to take down a website belonging to a government body this time. The people involved in Operation Payback had selected the UK’s Intellectual Property Office as their victim and announced that the DDoS would start at 5PM GMT. And so it happened.

 

At the time of writing, 18 hours into the DDoS, ipo.gov.uk is still unresponsive.

 

 

The Intellectual Property Office is “Perpetuating the system that is allowing the exploitative usage of copyright and intellectual property” according to the Anonymous DDoSers, who opened up a new can of targets with this attack.

 

As a Government body the UK Intellectual Property Office has been heavily involved in copyright issues and prospective laws. Earlier this year the Office spoke out against criminalizing illicit file-sharing as proposed in the ACTA treaty.

 

Instead of creating new laws to combat online piracy, it said the focus should be on providing “a framework to better enforce existing laws.”

 

Targeting government offices is certainly a step up for Anonymous. Time will tell what they dream up next but this one will probably turn a few heads.

 

http://torrentfreak.com/anonymous-takes-out-uks-intellectual-property-office-website-101017

[The_Gabe]

Looks like they're moving up to the big boys now.

 

In recent weeks dozens of anti-piracy groups, copyright lawyers and pro-copyright outfits have been targeted by a group of Internet vigilantes under the flag of Operation Payback.

 

The operation began during the third week of September with DDoS assaults against the MPAA, RIAA and anti-piracy company AiPlex Software. The latter was chosen as the first target because the outfit openly admitted to DDoSing several torrent sites including The Pirate Bay.

 

Those DDoS attacks were later replicated against lawfirms engaging in pay-up-or-else schemes, which indirectly led to the email leak at ACS:Law. After that followed many more targets, most of which we didnt cover here. Earlier this week, the MPAA was shamed again by Anonymous when their DRM website got hacked.

 

Yesterday, another high profile attack was launched, aimed to take down a website belonging to a government body this time. The people involved in Operation Payback had selected the UKs Intellectual Property Office as their victim and announced that the DDoS would start at 5PM GMT. And so it happened.

 

At the time of writing, 18 hours into the DDoS, ipo.gov.uk is still unresponsive.

 

 

The Intellectual Property Office is Perpetuating the system that is allowing the exploitative usage of copyright and intellectual property according to the Anonymous DDoSers, who opened up a new can of targets with this attack.

 

As a Government body the UK Intellectual Property Office has been heavily involved in copyright issues and prospective laws. Earlier this year the Office spoke out against criminalizing illicit file-sharing as proposed in the ACTA treaty.

 

Instead of creating new laws to combat online piracy, it said the focus should be on providing a framework to better enforce existing laws.

 

Targeting government offices is certainly a step up for Anonymous. Time will tell what they dream up next but this one will probably turn a few heads.

 

http://torrentfreak.com/anonymous-takes-out-uks-intellectual-property-office-website-101017

 

Am I the only who that became excited reading this?

[Skeptical]

"The internet" may be fighting back, but I can't say that I think it's going to have any form of long-term effect.

[Alg]

The Intellectual Property Office is “Perpetuating the system that is allowing the exploitative usage of copyright and intellectual property” according to the Anonymous DDoSers, who opened up a new can of targets with this attack.

Making people pay for a product is the new tyranny, of course.

 

Does anyone else smell the [cabbage]? They're the babies that think throwing a tantrum is the best way to get what they want. And we're [bleep]ing encouraging them.

[Skeptical]

The Intellectual Property Office is Perpetuating the system that is allowing the exploitative usage of copyright and intellectual property according to the Anonymous DDoSers, who opened up a new can of targets with this attack.

Making people pay for a product is the new tyranny, of course.

 

Does anyone else smell the [cabbage]? They're the babies that think throwing a tantrum is the best way to get what they want. And we're [bleep]ing encouraging them.

 

Sometimes our allies aren't our friends.

[Howlin0001]

The Intellectual Property Office is Perpetuating the system that is allowing the exploitative usage of copyright and intellectual property according to the Anonymous DDoSers, who opened up a new can of targets with this attack.

Making people pay for a product is the new tyranny, of course.

 

Does anyone else smell the [cabbage]? They're the babies that think throwing a tantrum is the best way to get what they want. And we're [bleep]ing encouraging them.

Well not everyone is encouraging them...

They may be throwing a tantrum but it is a pretty effective one isn't it (at the moment at least)?

[Skeptical]

The Intellectual Property Office is Perpetuating the system that is allowing the exploitative usage of copyright and intellectual property according to the Anonymous DDoSers, who opened up a new can of targets with this attack.

Making people pay for a product is the new tyranny, of course.

 

Does anyone else smell the [cabbage]? They're the babies that think throwing a tantrum is the best way to get what they want. And we're [bleep]ing encouraging them.

Well not everyone is encouraging them...

They may be throwing a tantrum but it is a pretty effective one isn't it (at the moment at least)?

 

It's getting a lot of attention, but is it really doing anything? Aside from driving Gene Simmons up the wall, of course.

[Overdoziz]

It may not achieve anything, but it sure as hell is funny. :thumbup:

[Giordano]

It will do something, it will make those companies always have a second thought of a stray internet persona screwing up their system.

 

Its always the second thought that counts. :twisted:

[Will H]

The Intellectual Property Office is "Perpetuating the system that is allowing the exploitative usage of copyright and intellectual property" according to the Anonymous DDoSers, who opened up a new can of targets with this attack.

Making people pay for a product is the new tyranny, of course.

 

Does anyone else smell the [cabbage]? They're the babies that think throwing a tantrum is the best way to get what they want. And we're [bleep]ing encouraging them.

Well not everyone is encouraging them...

They may be throwing a tantrum but it is a pretty effective one isn't it (at the moment at least)?

 

It's getting a lot of attention, but is it really doing anything? Aside from driving Gene Simmons up the wall, of course.

 

Possibly. If it is doing something, there's no real way that we'd know about it immediately. I really don't know what to think about the method that Anon. is using. DDoSing is basically suppressing the free distribution of information, but what if you believe the thing being suppressed is suppressing the free distribution of information?

 

Damn, this is really getting interesting. I also notice that the BBC hasn't said anything about it.

[Ambler]

Wow. I've heard a few people at my school mentioning this... I think this is big, non?

I'm actually suprised by it all, to be honest...

Can't the world live in peace? >_>

[ember3579]

So long as there are [wagon] on this planet, not really. At least, the fight's being brought to THEIR doorstep, not ours. ;)

 

Of course it's big. This is /b/ that we're talking about, and perhaps the rest of the chans as well for good measure. What did you expect, a stern letter?

[Danqazmlp]

I agree with ALG. They have gone a bit too far with this. Targeting a branch of the British Gov is not a good idea. It isn't going to get anything done apart from make them even more diligent in stopping sites like 4chan from existing at all.

 

I don't even get their reasoning for it. They are being little babies about it. Oh no, this office is in charge of copyrights and stopping people Illegally getting hold of things. Sounds to me as these are the good guys and those doing the attacks are bad guys if you were to put this in movie cliche form. I think that somebody needs to tell these guys that outside their little world, in the real world, nobody really cares...

 

They would be much much more effective at getting some kind of change in the government body by writing peaceful letters or going to the government in person, but that would rely on actually going out in the light and stepping away from their screens.

[sees_all1]

I think this is ridiculous. I don't know about you, but I like getting paid to do my job.

Nobody complains that they can't share an all-you-can-eat buffet pass with 1000 people, but this is exactly what they want to do. They want to take a product that cost lots of money to develop and screw the people trying to sell it.

 

I wonder if they'll take on the US Patent and Trademark Office. Or the FBI. Wish they would, I always laugh when 17 yr old hacker punks are arrested on felony charges.

[Overdoziz]

Danqa, you do know that 4chan is doing this because some companies have DDoSS'd torrent sites, right? Has nothing to do with illegal downloading itself.

[sees_all1]

Saw this on drudge and thought it was relevant to this thread.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4939254&c=AME&s=TOP

[Danqazmlp]

Danqa, you do know that 4chan is doing this because some companies have DDoSS'd torrent sites, right? Has nothing to do with illegal downloading itself.

 

 

And the uk copyright office has what to do with those?

 

And also, illegal downloading and torrenting go hand in hand. You may personally not use it for that, but it is definately one of the easiest ways for people to download illegal files. I would say that means they really do have a lot to do with each other. The companies went about it wrong doing it to them first, but 4chan is just as bad doing it back.

 

Maybe they think they are rebellious and actually making an impact, I'm not sure, but whatever they are thinking, they are thinking wrong.

 

 

Edit: To the above article, I think it is a really good idea. Websites are in a way somebodies property which they usually pay for. however currently, there really isn't any way governments can protect their population of internet users from attacks like these. a way of putting it would be somebody walking along and boarding up a shops doors, with an indestructible metal. Nobody can currently stop it. It would be great if there was some way a government could intervene.

[Giordano]

Has anyone compared torrenting to borrowing yet?

[sees_all1]

Has anyone compared torrenting to borrowing yet?

If you mean borrowing indefinitely, never returning, and sourcing copies so others can borrow it simultaneously, then yeah torrenting is like borrowing.