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Author Topic: Cyber Attack on Nutrition Site?  (Read 5,226 times)

Renegade

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Cyber Attack on Nutrition Site?
« on: September 07, 2012, 04:23 AM »
A health & nutrition site that I like was recently attacked.

http://naturalsociety.com/article-debunking-organic-food-hit-piece-cyber-attack/

Quote
Essentially, it was the first piece to really respond to the outlandish hit piece with a serious response. It may come as no surprise to many of you, then, to know that we were hit with a massive attack between the early morning hours of September 4th (as the piece really began to gain traction) and the night of the same day. Hit by a complicated series of denial of service attack (known as a DDoS attack) resulting in a complete server crash, we did our best to trace the location and halt the intrusion.

It sounds like the only purpose was to silence the site and not like any typical attacks that you'd get from spammers and the like.
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tomos

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Re: Cyber Attack on Nutrition Site?
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2012, 08:14 AM »
May as well publicise the piece that they think was targeted:

Debunked: Ridiculous Study Claims Organic Same as Conventional
http://naturalsociety.com/ridiculous-study-claims-organic-same-as-conventional/
Tom

40hz

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Re: Cyber Attack on Nutrition Site?
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2012, 12:16 PM »
The site owners commented that such attacks are usually the work of corporations or government backed hackers. However, I would suggest it can also be the work of major investors and stakeholders if there is a possibility share prices may be adversely affected by such an article.


Renegade

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Re: Cyber Attack on Nutrition Site?
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2012, 02:26 PM »
I think it kind of just struck me as unexpected. I suppose that I expect the regular, run of the mill, let's attack a server, gain control, setup phishing pages, send spam, and all that crap.

This is a very different motivation.
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40hz

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Re: Cyber Attack on Nutrition Site?
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2012, 03:13 PM »
It is pretty amazing. Usually the motives or potential beneficiaries behind such an attack aren't made quite so obvious. But this was just sheer brute force.

I guess that article and video were causing big enough concerns that subtlety and finesse went right out the window when whoever got freaked out about it decided to take it down.

Brave new world folks! Push the big guys a little too hard and you can expect them to push right back. :tellme:

Stoic Joker

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Re: Cyber Attack on Nutrition Site?
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2012, 07:46 PM »
Brave new world folks! Push the big guys a little too hard and you can expect them to push right back.

...And that's why Anonymous had (has?) a fan base. :)

40hz

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Re: Cyber Attack on Nutrition Site?
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2012, 09:48 PM »
Brave new world folks! Push the big guys a little too hard and you can expect them to push right back.

...And that's why Anonymous had (has?) a fan base. :)

Much as I understand where Anonymous is coming from, every so often I can't help thinking:

The problem with anon vigilantism
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