Hacking Gets Cheaper
Published by Bob Foster
I was curious how someone can take down a site like Twitter or Facebook. So, not being a techie, I did some research, and according to a recent article in BusinessWeek, taking down a site like Twitter, Facebook, or any other Web site is about as easy as getting a book from Amazon. No password cracking or software coding is necessary—and, it is very affordable.
The concept is to launch a “denial-of-service” attack, by simply renting enough computer power to overwhelm a “target” site by trying to communicate with it through thousands of computers at the same time. Apparently, neither Twitter nor Facebook was the “target” site this time, but instead, they were victims of collateral damage when someone took down a political site.
You may wonder where all these computers are? Well, they could be your computer, and/or mine—plus tens of millions of computers around the world that are currently infected with viruses that can control our computers on command. These networks of computers are called “botnets” and are rented out by scurrilous hackers on a per-day basis.
There are now so many “botnets” operating that there has been a price war, and a person can now rent 10,000 computers for about $200 per day. This is more than enough computer power to take down a Web site with a “denial-of-service” attack.
Oh yeah, and it only takes about an hour to hook-up with a botnet, pay your money, and set up the attack.
So, there you have it. Anyone can do it, and apparently, you don’t have to be a technical whiz.
Motives vary from hacker to hacker, but can include silencing political opponents, covering fraud, revenge by a disgruntled employee who wants to take down his company’s site, or any other motive imaginable—including plain old vandalism.
Tech savvy people probably know all this, but to me, it was an eye-opener. To read the complete article, click here.
Do you know what’s on your computer?
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