Twitter (& Facebook) Bans WikiLeaks’ Hacker Avengers. Here Comes The Cyberattack

[Turborama]

Source: Forbes

The task of taking Twitter down just jumped to the first priority spot on a few hundred hackers’ to-do list.

Andy Greenberg | Dec. 8 2010

On Wednesday evening, the microblogging service suspended the account of Operation: Payback, a group most recently devoted to launching cyberattacks against anyone perceived as an enemy of WikiLeaks. The profile page simply reads “Hold up! Sorry, the profile you are trying to view has been suspended.”

Over the last few days, the growing group has sent floods of junk traffic at the web servers of the prosecutor in Stockholm currently seeking Julian Assange’s extradition as well as financial institutions that have cut off service to WikiLeaks including the Swiss bank PostFinance, PayPal, MasterCard and Visa. As of this writing, MasterCard.com and Visa.com both remain offline under a barrage from the hacker group.

Though Twitter hasn’t issued a statement explaining its actions, banning Operation: Payback for illegal use of Twitter seems obvious enough. The group has been using the messaging service to declare its newest victims, announce its latest victories, and even recruit new users’ computers into its mass of cyber weaponry. http://blogs.forbes.com/mikeisaac/2010/12/08/facebook-and-twitter-suspend-operation-payback-accounts/">Facebook banned the group earlier today.

Even before this move, Twitter held a place on Operation: Payback’s hit list. Since WikiLeaks dropped a quarter-million secret diplomatic cables last week, Twitter users have echoed a claim that the site was preventing the term “#WikiLeaks” from entering its “trending topics” list, an accusation that Twitter has denied. An online poster released by Operation: Payback reads “Twitter, you’re next for censoring #WikiLeaks discussion.”

Read more: http://blogs.forbes.com/andygreenberg/2010/12/08/twitter-bans-wikileaks-hacker-avengers-here-comes-the-cyberattack/?boxes=Homepagelighttop

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Wiki War: Is Twitter Next On Hacker Hitlist?

5:11am UK, Thursday December 09, 2010
Andy Winter, Sky News Online

Computer hackers are claiming victory after attacking Visa, Mastercard and PayPal for withdrawing services from WikiLeaks - and have warned that Twitter is their next target.

=snip=

...it appears Twitter- previously a source of much WikiLeaks support - could now become a target.

The microblogging website suspended AnonOps' account last night and it has been accused of preventing the term "WikiLeaks" from appearing in its trending topics - a claim Twitter has denied.

AnonOps has posted a statement on its website warning: "Twitter you're next for censoring WikiLeaks discussion."

More inc. video analysis of the cyber war so far at the link: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/WikiLeaks-Operation-Payback-Hackers-Attack-Visa-Mastercard-And-Paypal-And-Warn-Twitter-Is-Next/Article/201012215850393?lpos=UK_News_Top_Stories_Header_2&lid=ARTICLE_15850393_WikiLeaks:_Operation_Payback_Hacker

[gateley]

1. Seeing the damage these warriors can due, even temporarily, I wouldn't fuck with them!

[Egnever]

8. LOL

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

11. Well, not without some prophylactic protection

I hope DU has server security "covered".

:hi:

[EFerrari]

2. Their excuse for why wikileaks doesn't trend is gibberish.

I love using twitter but the company gets a :thumbsdown:

[Catherina]

3. When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty. Rec'd n/t

[glinda]

4. This is a good thing to keep me off those sites for a few hours.

[Turborama]

5. Facebook Confirms It Pulled Operation Payback Page

Posted by Jackie Cohen on December 9th, 2010 1:03 AM

Facebook has confirmed that it banned the Operation Payback page created by a group of hackers to show support for WikiLeaks.

While numerous fan pages sprouted up on Facebook also calling themselves Operation Payback, they were supporters of the original page created by the activist hacker group called Anonymous.

Operation Payback started out hacking online piracy opponents, and only this month directed its distributed denial of service attacks on companies that oppose WikiLeaks.

Anonymous has boasted of these attacks through Operation Payback pages on Facebook and Twitter, which have both pulled the group’s accounts.

More: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-confirms-it-pulled-operation-payback-page-2010-12

[Quantess]

10. facebook also appears to be down at the moment

I just tried unsuccessfully to log in for 2 minutes.

[PufPuf23]

6. Thank you Turborama for your LBN posts,

I worry that there will be a authoritarian backlash against domestic net access and neutrality.

[Turborama]

7. You're most welcome, PufPuf23. Wait...

...What? I was in the middle of replying and... whoosh!

Anyhoo, I'm getting increasingly worried about that too. I've had personal experience of how easily ISPs can restrict internet access.

[Nihil]

9. It's happened a few times now on this subject ...

... you know, the subject about attempts to control information from getting
out to the world ...

Thanks for posting them anyway!
:hi:

[Turborama]

12. Yep

It's getting harder to tell what's going to be thought of as worthy or not at the moment.

You're most welcome, thanks for the thanks!

:hi:

[Bragi]

13. I also thank you /nt

[Turborama]

15. Thanks for the thanks.

It's nice to hear it's appreciated.

[Bragi]

16. I'm just thinking it keeps you away from other mischief

<joke>

[Turborama]

18. Likewise

<another joke>

[Javaman]

14. So let's recap...

Populist movement in Iran tweeting? Big thumbs up!

Calling out the US on their total bullshit? Run away!

Just as long as failin quitter can still tweet her half-ass brain leakage, life is just fine and dandy.

[NashVegas]

17. I Would Hope Not

They need to concentrate fire, not spread it out all over.