Posted on 07/30/2002 11:27:23 AM PDT by weegee
WASHINGTON--The Recording Industry Association of America's Web site was unreachable over the weekend due to a denial-of-service attack.
The apparently deliberate overload rendered the RIAA.org site unavailable for portions of four days and came after the group endorsed legislation to allow copyright holders to disrupt peer-to-peer networks.
The malicious flood started on Friday and did not involve any intrusion into the RIAA's internal network, a representative for the trade association said on Monday afternoon. Nobody has claimed credit for the denial-of-service attack, which ended at 2 a.m. PDT on Monday.
"Don't they have something better to do during the summer than hack our site?" asked the RIAA representative, who asked not to be identified. "Perhaps it at least took 10 minutes away from stealing music."
Denial-of-service attacks overwhelm an Internet site by enlisting hundreds or thousands of other machines that attempt to make simultaneous connections. The resulting overload resembles a physical traffic jam: Few people can get through.
On Thursday, the RIAA endorsed a bill written by Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., that would authorize copyright holders to begin "blocking, diverting or otherwise impairing" peer-to-peer networks.
RIAA CEO Hilary Rosen said in a statement that Berman's bill was "an innovative approach," adding that "it makes sense to clarify existing laws to ensure that copyright owners--those who actually take the time and effort to create an artistic work--are at least able to defend their works from mass piracy."
Berman's bill, co-authored with Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C., would allow the RIAA to engage in precisely this kind of denial-of-service attack against peer-to-peer networks where illicit copies of music are traded.
The RIAA, which receives connectivity through WorldCom's UUNet subsidiary, said it would not speculate about the reason for the attack. A representative said it appears to have been the first time the group's site had been knocked offline.
As an interested observer, I would say that this attack was a shot across the bow.
They should write this whole thing up as a short textbook, and title it "How to become the target of every script kiddie in the known universe in one easy lesson."
BOOM!!!! I would say you are right. If they ever start hacking consumers computers look for a full blown cyber war to break out! I wouldn't put my money on RIAA.
Jury nullification is a wonderful thing.
As an interested observer, I would say that this attack was a shot across the bow.
(Shaking head slowly) Deplorable!
W00T! W00T! 2600 R3wlZ! RIAA 1z O\^/ned.
When For-Hire crooks are publicly bribed to introduce laws to allow the Mob to attack people's machines, and they crow about it in the Press, it becomes The Little Bluebirds taking on the Hell's Angels.
Attack my machine, Mob.
Make My Day.
Yup. I predicted this just a few days ago in another thread. If the legislation passes, the RIAA site, many record company sites, and every IP address found to contain RIAA attack bots will be under constant, unceasing attack from tens of thousands of hackers around the world.
...Berman's bill was "an innovative approach," adding that "it makes sense to clarify existing laws to ensure that copyright owners--those who actually take the time and effort to create an artistic work--are at least able to defend their works from mass piracy."
It legalizes vigilanteism and permits vandalism. Might as well suspend all law.
Hope these music mobsters got some REALLY good network security. They're going to need it.
A serious high-five to those responsible!!
GOOD JOB!!!!
The RIAA is great at extracting money from establishments and companies but it isn't as good at accurately dispersing it to its clients.
Nope. The law will not allow me to defend my property using means that knowingly or recklessly spills over onto innocent bystanders. For instance, shotgun booby-traps are illegal, because there's too much risk of hitting an innocent bystander if it goes off by accident or killing a fireman or cop responding to an emergency. Rosen & Co. should be in prison for attempting to buy a different rule for themselves, and should get on their knees thanking Beelzebub that they've gotten off lightly with hack attacks instead.
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