Wikileaks
A loose knit group calling themselves Anonymous appears to be responsible for cyber attacks on websites of companies that have severed business ties with Wikileaks.
The attacks have been carried out using a tool, called LOIC, that allows people to bombard a site of their choosing with data or let the target be chosen by those running the Anonymous campaign. The tool launches what is called a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. The objective is to knock a website offline by bombarding it with so much data that it cannot respond.
Internet giants Amazon and PayPal fended off multiple online attacks yesterday by sympathizers of WikiLeaks. The online retailer and the payment service, both appeared to function smoothly yesterday.
The relatively ineffective web attacks carried out in support of Wikileaks are being wound down as activists consider changing tactics. A message posted on the 4chan image board, out of which Anonymous has grown, suggests dropping LOIC in favor of publicizing information in the diplomatic cables that Wikileaks is releasing.
They are hoping to draw attention to less publicized reports thinking that exposure would be more effective than LOIC attacks.
A wannabe Wikilieks website, Open Leaks, set up by Daniel Domscheit-Berg, is expected to launch in mid_December and will host and post information leaked to it.
