Better DDoSed than defaced?
Summary: The problem with Windows botnets raises greater concerns as yet another Web site goes offline for the weekend
T
HE INHERENT insecurity of Microsoft Windows is some serious business. It is not only used for
spamming at a biblical scale, but with
an army of hundreds of millions of Windows zombies one truly becomes a master of the World Wide Web, deciding which Web sites go offline and which ones stay offline. That's a lot of power to have and it requires no Australia-style secret filters. At worst, entire nations get be paralysed and there are real-world examples of this.
The problem is confirmed to be a hugely severe one because some security experts believe that only luck or mercy has permitted the Web to persist living. According to
a new report from Heise, "ITU calls for global cybersecurity measures."
The International Telecommunication Union ITU has published its proposals for harmonising global cybersecurity legislation on the periphery of a conference on the information society in Geneva.
This would not resolve anything. As
we stressed the other day, banning of software tools would not be effective and
fining vendors would not help either (Linux vendors
agree). But if the
FBI can't keep Windows secure, who can? Would a solution be to phase out (
maybe eradicate or quarantine) Windows? Botnets consistently comprise Windows boxes because
evidence suggests that UNIX and Linux are a lot more secure. No version of Windows will ever be secure,
based on evidence too.
Over a week ago (13 days to be precise) we began
suffering downtimes due to DDoS attacks and this morning we found
this report in The Register:
BNP pleads for cash after reported DDoS assault
[...]
A conspiracy by "Marxist cyber criminals" campaigning against the BNP is alleged to be behind the assault, which remains ongoing, according to an appeal email, which was sent out on Monday.
The size of the renewed assault is unparalleled and there is no doubt that whoever has organised this has had to pay out a serious amount of money to the criminal underworld.
On Friday the servers of Clear Channel, part of a huge conglomerate that provides billboard advertising to the BNP, suffered a similar attack. Their IT professionals tracked the criminal activity back to a notorious "anti-fascist" organisation openly aligned to the Labour Party and supported by the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. This organisation was protesting at the decision by Clear Channel to allow the BNP to display advertising in support of our European Election Campaign.
As a consequence of the criminal actions against Clear Channel we understand that their legal team is currently in the process of issuing writs against the perpetrators which as well as civil actions will involve the possibility of potential criminal charges including racketeering.
Whether one believes them or not is a separate matter. Tracking the source of a DDos attack is next to impossible unless a comprehensive investigation is launched.
As for ourselves, we made no accusations against anyone, but we were privately sent information that may show the motive for an attack. There were about half a dozen such attacks. It was mostly likely targeted, it was not some random selection of a victim.
⬆
"Our products just aren't engineered for security."
--Brian Valentine, Microsoft executive and Windows manager
