LOIC: Denial of Service application proves a success

Posted on 11 May 2012

Low Orbit Ion Cannon is a Denial of Service (DoS) application which has been released into the public domain and 2012 has brought an alarming increase in the number of application downloads.

The idea behind LOIC is that it can allow you to participate in DoS attacks even if you’ve no clue how to really use a computer. DoS attacks are launched with the intention of attempting to make a computer or network unavailable to its intended users and the usual targets are high profile web-servers such as banks.

High Court orders ISPs block The Pirate Bay

Posted on 3 May 2012

BitTorrent is a communications method by which files are broken down into innumerable constituent parts and shared between users in order of how rare those parts are. Effectively, the system is extremely efficient, because the last thing that is shared is the part that is most common, thereby equalising the relative availability of the pieces. The BitTorrent protocol is peer-to-peer in the sense that the distribution of the pieces does not rely on a central server as much as other methods.

Because of a perceived profligacy of internet based file-sharing and the blame for what appears to be the fault of outdated business models on the reduction in the sale of physical items, the music and film industry seeks to somewhat repress internet freedoms.

Hacking group CabinCr3w hit turbulence

Posted on 20 April 2012

At the start of April, a member of CabinCr3w, an Anonymous affiliated hacking group, was arrested in Utah.

John Anthony Borell III, who goes under the moniker Kahuna, appeared before the Court in relation to two offences of “computer intrusion” regarding hacking the websites of the Utah Chiefs of Police and the Salt Lake City Police Department. He has pleaded not guilty and the matter will presumably proceed to trial.

TeaMp0isoN launches DOS attack on MI6 phone system

Posted on 11 April 2012

While all eyes are on Anonymous (a group reputed to have its own PR division), TeaMp0isoN are also pushing into the spotlight with their own cyber-pillaging efforts.

Coalition government proposes potentially snooping on all email and social network traffic

Posted on 10 April 2012

Reports suggest that the coalition government are likely to propose an extension of the snooping laws, which will allow them to monitor, in realtime, all emails, social network traffic and Skype calls involving UK citizens.

Tomorrow sees the launch of ‘Operation Global Blackout’

Posted on 30 March 2012

Recent claims from computer hacking group, Anonymous, indicate that plans have been made to temporarily bring down the internet globally.

Group members have announced that they will launch a large distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on the 13 Root Domain Name System (DNS) servers, which control the routing of all internet traffic and make it possible for internet users to reach web site destinations by typing in a domain name in their browsers. The desired outcome of the attack is to disable internet connection worldwide by preventing the use of the HTTP internet which is the most widely used function of the Web. The attack has been called ‘Operation Global Blackout’ and is scheduled to occur tomorrow, 31 March 2012.

The suicide of Tyler Clementi – old offences, new methods.

Posted on 19 March 2012

On 16^th March, a 20 year old student at a University in America was convicted in a cyber bullying case. The matter emphasises the growth in this area of law and how, rather than being a new area of law, cyber crime is, more often than not, new methods to commit age-old crimes.

Sabu – Agent provocateur who was in it for the Lulz.

Posted on 6 March 2012

The hackerverse has recently been shocked by the revelations that the high-profile and outspoken hacker, Sabu, was an FBI informant. In case you have been living under a rock, Sabu was the original leader of the high profile LulzSec hacking group. LulzSec were the ones that, amongst other things, hacked into The Sun website and posted a fake story that Rupert Murdoch had died after ingesting a fatal dose of palladium.

Chipped TV box? Buyer beware.

Posted on 5 March 2012

The computer misuse hacking offences are broad enough to catch offences that, at fist glance, do not appear to be “hacking” at all.

Cyber crime – It’s not all about geeks

Posted on 23 February 2012

Many people consider cyber criminals to be loners working away in their bedrooms and attempting to infiltrate the network or system of another user. No doubt, the generalised “cyber geek” exists, but there is a lot more to the area than that.