31 March 2013
ইন্টারনেট ইতিহাসে সবচেয়ে বড় সাইবার আক্রমণের ঘটনাটি ঘটে গেছে ২৭ মার্চ
বিবিসি এবং নিউ ইয়র্ক টাইমসের প্রতিবেদনে বলা হয়েছে আক্রমণটি এতোটাই বড়
ছিলো যে, এর ফলে কার্যত স্থবির হয়ে গিয়েছিলো পুরো বিশ্বের ইন্টারনেট সংযোগ
ব্যবস্থা। প্রযুক্তি সংবাদ বিষয়ক সাইট টেক নিউজ ডেইলি জানিয়েছে, ওই সময়ে
ডেটা ট্রান্সফারের হার ছাড়িয়ে গিয়েছিলো প্রতি সেকেন্ড ৩০০ গিগাবাইট। ওই
সাইবার আক্রমণ বিষয়ে তদন্ত করতে এক সঙ্গে মাঠে নেমেছে পাঁচটি দেশের সাইবার
পুলিশ।
‘সর্বকালের সবচেয়ে বড় সাইবার আক্রমণ’টির সূত্রপাত ল-ন ও
জেনেভা ভিত্তক স্প্যাম ফিল্টার প্রতিষ্ঠান স্প্যামহস এবং ডাচ ওয়েব হোস্টিং
প্রতিষ্ঠান সাইবারবাংকারের মধ্যে চলমান রেষারেষি থেকে। ল-ন ও জেনেভা
ভিত্তিক প্রতিষ্ঠান স্প্যামহস একটি অলাভজনক প্রতিষ্ঠান যা ইমেইল সেবা দাতা
প্রতিষ্ঠানগুলোকে স্প্যাম ফিল্টার করতে সাহায্য করে।
স্প্যামারদের
হোস্ট করে এমন ওয়েব হোস্টিং প্রতিষ্ঠানগুলোর একটি ব্ল্যাকলিস্ট রয়েছে
স্প্যামহসের। স্প্যাম এবং অপ্রয়োজনীয় ইমেইল আসা ঠেকাতে স্প্যামহসের
তালিকাটির ব্যাপক ব্যবহার রয়েছে পুরো বিশ্বের ইন্টারনেট সার্ভিস
প্রোভাইডারদের মধ্যে।
অন্যদিকে ডাচ প্রতিষ্ঠান সাইবারবাংকারের
বিরুদ্ধে রয়েছে স্প্যাম হোস্টিংয়ের পুরনো অভিযোগ। শিশু পর্ণোপ্রাফি আর
সন্ত্রাসবাদী কন্টেন্ট বাদে যে কোনো কন্টেন্ট প্রতিষ্ঠানটি হোস্টিং করে বলে
অভিযোগ রয়েছে আগে থেকেই। ১৯৯৮ সালে একদল হ্যাকার প্রতিষ্ঠা করে
সাইবারবাংকার।
সম্প্রতি স্প্যামহস সাইবারবাংকারের কয়েকটি সার্ভার
ব্লক করে দেয়ায় ক্ষেপে যায় হ্যাকারদের প্রতিষ্ঠানটি। স্প্যামহসের বিরুদ্ধে
সাইবার আক্রমণ শুরু করে সাইবারবাংকারের হ্যাকাররা। প্রায় এক সপ্তাহ ধরে চলা
সাইবার আক্রমণ চরম আকার ধারণ করে ২৭ মার্চ। ডিনায়াল অফ সার্ভিস (ডিডিওএস)
আক্রমণের এক পর্যায়ে ডেটা ট্রান্সফার রেট প্রতি সেকেন্ড ৩০০ গিগাবাইট
ছাড়িয়ে যায়।
সাইবারবাংকারের আক্রমণের ঘটনাটিকে ইতিহাসের সবচেয়ে বড়
সাইবার আক্রমণের ঘটনা বলে চিহ্নিত করলেও ইন্টারনেটের ওপর এর প্রভাব কতোটা
পরেছিলো তা নিয়ে বিপরীতমুখি তথ্য দিচ্ছে বিভিন্ন সংবাদমাধ্যম। মার্কিন
দৈনিক নিউ নিয়র্ক টাইমস এবং বার্তা সংস্থা বিবিসি জানিয়েছে ওই সাইবার
আক্রমণের ডেটা ট্রান্সফারের চাপে স্থবির হয়ে পরেছিলো পুরো বিশ্বের
ইন্টারনেট সংযোগ। কিন্তু সিনেট এবং টেক নিউজ ডেইলির মতে প্রযুক্তি সংবাদ
বিষয়ক সাইটগুলো বলছে পুরো দুনিয়া নয় কেবল পশ্চিম ইউরোপের কয়েকটি দেশের ওপর
ইন্টারনেট সংযোগের ওপরই প্রভাব ফেলেছিলো ওই ঘটনা।
Europe Changed Its Mind over Online Porn
Just
a few days ago it looked like the European Parliament was decided to
ban online porn and tried to force ISPs to start doing so. However, the
bill, which was to provide a blanket ban for porn, was itself censored
before going before members.
The European Parliament took a decision to strike out the lively discussed extension of “media” into the worldwide web, effectively limiting the ban to advertising along with some undefined print media. They also removed a reference to the criminalization of any dissent against the report and the turning of broadband providers into thought cops from the bill.
With these amendments, all that is left for the Pirate Party to complain about was a decision to filter out its protests on the issue and to hide how the representatives voted on the report. According to the Pirate Party founder Rick Falkvinge, the legislation was dangerous to free speech, and it was also so broad that it even prevented sending sexual media between couples. Moreover, it would have even resulted in the criminalization of sexting.
The legislation was actually designed to prevent the use of sexist advertising and the sexualization of children and women in the media, as well as to stop the advertising of sex tourism. However, the bill appeared so general that it could be used to cover all forms of communication. This is a good thing that everything, which expanded “the media” in the bill to the web, was deleted before the vote.
What has miffed the Pirate Party founder was that the European Parliament responded by shutting off constituents’ protests. It seems that some Members of European Parliament had complained to the Parliament’s IT staff about emails from citizens protesting against the bill. As a result, protests against this report were classified as spam while countless emails protesting agricultural subsidies were still coming in to the MEPs’ inboxes. The Pirate Party claims that someone had rewritten the spam filter in such way that any mail containing the words “gender stereotypes” was recognized as spam.
The Pirate Party complained that Parliament didn’t care to do a so-called “roll call vote”, which is a vote where it shows who voted how. This means that they just decided collectively to disable their constituents from holding them accountable. Anyway, in the end the vote wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
The European Parliament took a decision to strike out the lively discussed extension of “media” into the worldwide web, effectively limiting the ban to advertising along with some undefined print media. They also removed a reference to the criminalization of any dissent against the report and the turning of broadband providers into thought cops from the bill.
With these amendments, all that is left for the Pirate Party to complain about was a decision to filter out its protests on the issue and to hide how the representatives voted on the report. According to the Pirate Party founder Rick Falkvinge, the legislation was dangerous to free speech, and it was also so broad that it even prevented sending sexual media between couples. Moreover, it would have even resulted in the criminalization of sexting.
The legislation was actually designed to prevent the use of sexist advertising and the sexualization of children and women in the media, as well as to stop the advertising of sex tourism. However, the bill appeared so general that it could be used to cover all forms of communication. This is a good thing that everything, which expanded “the media” in the bill to the web, was deleted before the vote.
What has miffed the Pirate Party founder was that the European Parliament responded by shutting off constituents’ protests. It seems that some Members of European Parliament had complained to the Parliament’s IT staff about emails from citizens protesting against the bill. As a result, protests against this report were classified as spam while countless emails protesting agricultural subsidies were still coming in to the MEPs’ inboxes. The Pirate Party claims that someone had rewritten the spam filter in such way that any mail containing the words “gender stereotypes” was recognized as spam.
The Pirate Party complained that Parliament didn’t care to do a so-called “roll call vote”, which is a vote where it shows who voted how. This means that they just decided collectively to disable their constituents from holding them accountable. Anyway, in the end the vote wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
Iran Failed to Block VPNs
An
outfit running a VPN service for Iranian clients announced that the
attempts of the local authorities to block the service during the
weekend have failed.
The country tried to block VPN ports all across the country in order to prevent citizens from visiting banned websites like Facebook and Skype, but the owner of a Brazilian VPN service claimed these attempts have largely been inefficient. According to Joshua Van Raalte, the users of the “Hide My Ass” free proxy haven’t been affected by the ban.
He believes that the latest attempt of the government at Internet restriction will most likely be fruitless. Van Raalte pointed that the block on VPNs was confirmed by a local protester on Facebook, which should have been banned in Iran.
In the meanwhile, the Chinese government has also spent many years and millions of dollars on technology which should have blocked VPNs, but yet they still get through regardless. In addition, the provision of proxy technology, instruments and software has so far managed to circumvent all attempts at censorship.
Over 1,200 Iranians make use of HMA’s free proxy service every week, despite that fact that it is officially blocked by the Iranian authorities. Joshua Van Raalte promised that “Hide My Ass” will keep supporting Iranian users as much as it can, because the company’s mission is to promote openness and the global freedom of expression provided by the worldwide web.
The country tried to block VPN ports all across the country in order to prevent citizens from visiting banned websites like Facebook and Skype, but the owner of a Brazilian VPN service claimed these attempts have largely been inefficient. According to Joshua Van Raalte, the users of the “Hide My Ass” free proxy haven’t been affected by the ban.
He believes that the latest attempt of the government at Internet restriction will most likely be fruitless. Van Raalte pointed that the block on VPNs was confirmed by a local protester on Facebook, which should have been banned in Iran.
In the meanwhile, the Chinese government has also spent many years and millions of dollars on technology which should have blocked VPNs, but yet they still get through regardless. In addition, the provision of proxy technology, instruments and software has so far managed to circumvent all attempts at censorship.
Over 1,200 Iranians make use of HMA’s free proxy service every week, despite that fact that it is officially blocked by the Iranian authorities. Joshua Van Raalte promised that “Hide My Ass” will keep supporting Iranian users as much as it can, because the company’s mission is to promote openness and the global freedom of expression provided by the worldwide web.
Jailed Hacker Cracked Prison Network
Nicholas
Webber, jailed for 5 years for creating a hacker’s forum website, was
accidentally invited into an IT class in prison. As you might guess, the
consequences of this move appeared difficult.
Now the prison authorities are arguing about who let it happen, but it actually doesn’t matter any more. For some reason, Nicholas Webber was allowed into an IT class in his prison, despite the fact that he was serving 5 years for launching a website called GhostMarket. The latter allowed people interested in writing computer viruses to partake of stolen IDs and enjoy private credit card data to congregate.
The hacker was caught using hacked personal data to purchase everything from smart devices to hotel stays. Although one might have thought that an IT class would have been dull for such expert, in fact inviting him to an IT class encouraged him to enjoy a little mischief. In result, the computer network at Her Majesty’s Prison Isis, South London, was hacked.
The mistake which led to the hacking back in 2011 has only come to light after the teacher at the IT class in jail, Michael Fox, launched a lawsuit against the college which employed him for unfair dismissal. The teacher claims he wasn’t aware that Webber had been a hacker. However, Prison Isis banned him and sent notes to other prisons that his talents were allegedly imperfect. As a result, Kensington and Chelsea College also laid him off.
According to the representatives of the prison, at the time of this incident the educational computer system at Isis was a closed network, without access to personal data or wider access to the worldwide web or other prison systems. However, the press reports announced that a “major panic” ensued. Michael Fox told an employment tribunal that the perceived problem was there was a tutor who had consequently been excluded by the jail and charged with allowing a hacker to crack the jail’s network.
Of course, someone must have known that Nicholas Webber was charged for hacking before he went to the IT class – the individual was sometimes referred to as a “notorious cyber-criminal”. It is unclear who might it have been if not Fox.
Her Majesty’s Prison Isis specializes in criminals under 25 and is located next to Her Majesty’s Prison, Belmarsh. It is also considered to be a maximum security facility. In the meantime, after the accident the BBC reported that the prison had been “bedeviled” with faulty technology
Now the prison authorities are arguing about who let it happen, but it actually doesn’t matter any more. For some reason, Nicholas Webber was allowed into an IT class in his prison, despite the fact that he was serving 5 years for launching a website called GhostMarket. The latter allowed people interested in writing computer viruses to partake of stolen IDs and enjoy private credit card data to congregate.
The hacker was caught using hacked personal data to purchase everything from smart devices to hotel stays. Although one might have thought that an IT class would have been dull for such expert, in fact inviting him to an IT class encouraged him to enjoy a little mischief. In result, the computer network at Her Majesty’s Prison Isis, South London, was hacked.
The mistake which led to the hacking back in 2011 has only come to light after the teacher at the IT class in jail, Michael Fox, launched a lawsuit against the college which employed him for unfair dismissal. The teacher claims he wasn’t aware that Webber had been a hacker. However, Prison Isis banned him and sent notes to other prisons that his talents were allegedly imperfect. As a result, Kensington and Chelsea College also laid him off.
According to the representatives of the prison, at the time of this incident the educational computer system at Isis was a closed network, without access to personal data or wider access to the worldwide web or other prison systems. However, the press reports announced that a “major panic” ensued. Michael Fox told an employment tribunal that the perceived problem was there was a tutor who had consequently been excluded by the jail and charged with allowing a hacker to crack the jail’s network.
Of course, someone must have known that Nicholas Webber was charged for hacking before he went to the IT class – the individual was sometimes referred to as a “notorious cyber-criminal”. It is unclear who might it have been if not Fox.
Her Majesty’s Prison Isis specializes in criminals under 25 and is located next to Her Majesty’s Prison, Belmarsh. It is also considered to be a maximum security facility. In the meantime, after the accident the BBC reported that the prison had been “bedeviled” with faulty technology
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