An ongoing campaign of DDoS attacks against 11, high-profile global targets has caused more than 550 hours of downtime and 742 service interruptions since September 17.
Indeed, the strikes – executed by Anonymous – recently claimed 119 service interruptions and over 68 hours of downtime across multiple Spanish sites, including the Copyright Protection Society (SGAE), the Culture Ministry and Promusicae.
“Since the onset of the DDoS attacks, the websites longest affected have been ACS:Law, with 179 hours downtime; the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with 127 hours and Aiplex Software with 123 hours,” explained PandaLabs director of research Luis Corrons.
“[Clearly], the popularization of this group’s activities has led many users without much technical know-how to join in.”
As Corrons points out, the Internet offers easy access to basic tutorials and multiple tools for launching crippling DDoS attacks.
“This means that not everyone is taking the steps necessary to cover their tracks, such as hiding IPs.
“[So], if there is an investigation, it would be possible to follow the trail and locate [at least] some of the protestors.”
Corrons also warned that Anonymous cyber activists – who communicate with each other via Facebook, Twitter and various blogs – are likely to step up their attacks against current and new targets in the near future.
Additional information on Anonymous members and their goals can be found here.
