Web Sites Vandalized With Antiwar Messages

Quote:

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A hacker group marred hundreds of Web sites with digital graffiti last night in an apparent response to the onset of the U.S.-led war against Iraq, prompting security experts to warn of further cyberattacks in the days to come.

Unix Security Guards, a pro-Islamic hacking group, defaced nearly 400 Web sites Wednesday evening with antiwar slogans written in Arabic and English, according to iDefense, a Reston, Va.-based Internet security firm.

Text posted on sites by the hacker group said the defacements were the beginning of "the new era of cyber war we promised! More is coming, just like the US do [sic] what it wants to the world, we will do what we want to the Internet. Stop the US terroristes [sic] and we will stop! Viva Iraq!"

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More here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2003Mar20.html

There has been much speculation about what sort of cyber attacks and other computer security threats might be introduced when hostilities were begun with Iraq. As was posted, so far there have been hundreds of web site defacements but not much else.

Everyone needs to be vigilent though and aware of the fact that there have been some MAJOR security vulnerabilities announced in the past couple weeks. These vulnerabilities affect huge numbers of machines around the world and present a prime target for malicious developers to use them as an attack vector.

There have been serious flaws found in Sendmail, Windows 2000 and the Windows Script Engine in all versions of Windows. Any one of these could be a viable attack vector for a malicious coder to use. Just like SQL Slammer, months may pass before the attack occurs, but unfortunately there will be many who probably still will not have applied the available updates or patches.

"here's my tip...Learn to code...write a superworm...sit back and watch the 'terror' strike."

my tip to you would be delete this post and re think your thoughts on "am i to lame for a computer?"

AntiAck, I would also recommend deleting this post as it's quite borderline to facilitating and/or aiding in a cyber terrorist act punishable by the new Patriot Act. I'd pay close attention to definition (iv).

Title VIII strengthens criminal laws against terrorism, clarifies definitions of domestic terrorism, and discusses penalties for terrorist acts. Most important to the ITSP is Section 814 . This section, entitled Deterrence and Prevention of Cyberterrorism, clarifies penalties for hacking and expands the authority of law enforcement and other government agencies in dealing with cyber-terrorism.

In defining cyber terrorist offenses, this section states that an offense is prosecutable if the action taken (or the result of attempted action if completed) meets any of the following :

`(i) loss to 1 or more persons during any 1-year period (and, for purposes of an investigation, prosecution, or other proceeding brought by the United States only, loss resulting from a related course of conduct affecting 1 or more other protected computers) aggregating at least $5,000 in value;

`(ii) the modification or impairment, or potential modification or impairment, of the medical examination, diagnosis, treatment, or care of 1 or more individuals;

`(iii) physical injury to any person;

`(iv) a threat to public health or safety ; or

`(v) damage affecting a computer system used by or for a government entity in furtherance of the administration of justice, national defense, or national security;'. (USAPA).