Websites Down WTF

From The Associated Press 21 October 2016:
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Withering cyberattacks on server farms of a key internet firm repeatedly disrupted access to major websites and online services including Twitter, Netflix and PayPal across the United States on Friday. ...The data flood came from tens of millions of different Internet-connected machines - including increasingly popular but highly insecure household devices such as web-connected cameras. It was an onslaught whose global shifts suggested a sophisticated attacker, though Dyn said it had neither suspect nor motive.

...Members of a shadowy collective that calls itself New World Hackers claimed responsibility for the attack via Twitter. They said they organized networks of connected "zombie" computers called botnets that threw a staggering 1.2 terabits per second of data at the Dyn-managed servers.
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Journalist Bree Fowler wrote for The Associated Pess 22 October 2016:
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Could millions of connected cameras, thermostats and kids' toys bring the internet to its knees? It's beginning to look that way. On Friday, epic cyberattacks crippled a major internet firm, repeatedly disrupting the availability of popular websites across the United States. The hacker group claiming responsibility says that the day's antics were just a dry run and that it has its sights set on a much bigger target. And the attackers now have a secret weapon in the increasing array of internet-enabled household devices they can subvert and use to wreak havoc.

...These work by overwhelming targeted machines with junk data traffic — sort of like knocking someone over by blasting them with a fire hose.
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While it is unclear why this attack was conducted and or who was behind this attack, one thing is crystal clear. The sophistication and target selection was not done by kids. Both New World Hackers and RedCult have claimed responsibility. The latter is also promising further attacks. Remember, New World Hackers also claimed responsibility for 600 Gbps DDoS attack on BBC’s server that forced all of its websites to go offline and unavailable for readers for several hours.

That said, it’s too early to speculate or blame someone but for experts, the usual suspects in such cases are China and Russia.
 

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