Web attacks a reality

Research has confirmed that Human rights groups and campaigners are being targeted by triggering huge web attacks foisted by those opposed to their views, in order to destabilize them. Many important websites are being rendered ‘unavailable’ by groups of attackers, as a consequence of these attacks. As the tools and techniques deployed become more broad-based, the attacks will tend to become more severe and widespread.

Human rights activists and independent media groups have to strengthen their defenses to ensure that they do not a prey to their evil designs. The research team at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society based at Harvard University has found that certain groups are resorting to Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks to deny. access to specific web sites in order to discourage certain data / information being passed on to the public and other users. The modus operandi of DDoS attacks is to try and knock a site offline by overwhelming the site with data.

Between August 2009 and September 2010 evidence of 140 such attacks against more than 280 different sites has been traced. The report indicated that these were the most high profile attacks that could be noticed and many other attacks may have gone unreported. Some attacks were triggered due to certain specific events such as elections, but in the case of others the obvious cause could not be detected.