The Internet’s first big information war is being fought right now, and whoever wins will set a precedent for the future of the web.
Operation Payback began back in September after Aiplex Software DDoS’d several websites that ignored takedown notices for copyrighted media. Aiplex Software’s website was DDoS’d in retaliation, and Anonymous moved on to attack the IFPI, the MPAA, and the RIAA.
With the prosecution of Julian Assange, Operation Payback has turn it’s resources towards the enemies of Wikileaks, and managed to take down Mastercard’s website today in protest of their refusal to allow customers to donate to the controversial website. Presumably this was the result of a massive DDoS as well, but how are they even done?
To coordinate a successful DDoS attack the “Low Orbit Ion Cannon” application is typically used, and it works by continuously sending large amounts of TCP/UDP packets, and HTTP requests, to a given IP address. With enough people using the “Hive Mind” mode that creates a virtual botnet, the target website may go offline after being overwhelmed. The application was made famous during the Project Chanology attacks against Scientology websites, and may have been responsible for Mastercard.com going offline.
The operation has even made it’s way on to Twitter with the @Anon_Operation account, and has an Operation Payback Facebook page allowing the group to reach an even larger audience. It certainly appears that this is the largest operation since the Scientology attacks.
What remains to be seen is how long this operation will last, and if the attacks will even have any meaningful influence over their targets. Has the Internet become the battlefield of our time?
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