Undersea Cables Cut: Oops or Uh-oh?

reply to post by makeitso


Edit: After some more research, scratch all that I said- all those servers I mentioned are not located in Iran. So I found a few that were. No go. If anyone can find a server LOCATED IN IRAN that is responding, I'd sure like to know about it. All you techheads that know DNS, reverse DNS, country codes, and the like, please check me on this. I can't find a working server that responds in Iran.

[edit on 1-2-2008 by TrueAmerican]

reply to post by TrueAmerican


If we were going to attack then we would use the open lines to our favor to hack every military PC connected in Iran with a virus and shut them down. After they do that then they will cut the line into Iran only or just blow up the junction station. Now if we get attacked by a coalition of mid-east nations then you can bet we would cut that cable so many times they couldn't fix it.

There is another possibility ladies and gents.

either iran is being un-plugged
or perhaps our level 3 bird flu pandemic in that neck of the world is getting nearer level 2 and we are seeing information control.

Either way something is up.

worth noting also that internet in the uk was really slow for many people thur/friday last week, with some weird dns stuff going on.

not just my paranoia, but caused me and customers lots of grief last week.

please see my edit above!

I can't find a responding server in Iran, hoping someone can help.

reply to post by TrueAmerican


www.irib.ir...
theres one, not checked where the server actually is tho

These all seem to be up.



www.nic.ir...

www.iranet.ir...

www.sharif.ac.ir...

Even the web site of the university with the non-pinging router is up:

www.iust.ac.ir...

This is pretty scary stuff.... Kind of like the newest Die Hard Can this scenario happen in the United States by accident?? As in are the cables controlling our internet that can be accidentally cut? Can you imagine what would happen if that happened here.......

On another note is just seems crazy that in the 21t century that one main part of our lives can just be gone without any backup

Well IRINN iranian state tv the website does not work nor does the TVU feed...

Googe irinn

[edit on 2/1/2008 by racerzeke]

Originally posted by 2ciewan
reply to post by TrueAmerican

 

www.irib.ir...
theres one, not checked where the server actually is tho

Yeah well checking where the actual server is located is important. And I did, is what I am saying across three. There does appear to be a blackout, but not entirely sure, as location lookups are not always accurate.

Originally posted by 2ciewan
worth noting also that internet in the uk was really slow for many people thur/friday last week, with some weird dns stuff going on.

Amen to that, it took me ages to download my completely legitimate music and TV shows, ages.

But yeah, this is no way a coincidence. I don't think anythings going to happen because nothing ever does but this was probably an orchestrated attack.

Maybe it's a practical joke on a global politics level?

"The Pentagon can plan attacks on adversaries' networks if, for example, the NSA determines that a particular server in a foreign country needs to be taken down to disrupt an attack on an information system critical to the U.S. government. That could include responding to an attack against a private-sector network, such as the telecom industry's, sources said. "

Bush Order Expands Network Monitoring
Published on Saturday, January 26, 2008.
Source: Washington Post - Ellen Nakashima

My take-
Theres your answer, the either didn't have the capacity to monitor or the traffic, or had to re-route it, to monitor, or found something attacking US interests that had to be disabled.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican

Originally posted by 2ciewan
reply to post by TrueAmerican

 

www.irib.ir...
theres one, not checked where the server actually is tho

Yeah well checking where the actual server is located is important. And I did, is what I am saying across three. There does appear to be a blackout, but not entirely sure, as location lookups are not always accurate.

Thanks for that, truth be told i couldn't be bothered, as i thought the chances of it being an entire country were slim to no-existent.

But you also know as well as i do the information you gained was only as valid as the DNS database supplying the information. Which is why this recent goings on & the us moves to "control" dns servers sets off my bat senses.

Perhaps they just forgot to pay the bill and got cut off.

reply to post by Jadette


ok, phew, the university site server checks out as located in Iran, so if that's the case then there is not a blackout. Either that or they are running down a network that was unaffected by the cable cutting.

Makes me wonder if they have anticipated a scenario such as this and taken precautions. K, my flags are back down again...Unless someone else has something to add... Thanks.

Edit to add: although it appears the www.irinn.ir... Islamic Republic of Iran News Network is down, the actual DNS did return ping, so that is indicative that there is something wrong downstream from the DNS or maybe that the website is down for maintenance. Could have been hacked too, but the fact that the website is down under these conditions does not indicate a wider blackout when the DNS located in Iran returns ping.

So for now I am abandoning that theory, unless someone comes up with something else.

[edit on 1-2-2008 by TrueAmerican]

Well, guys, we aren't the only ones thinking that something else is going on.

Middle East Internet Blackouts Spur Geopolitical Suspicions

Unprecedented mass Internet outages throughout the Middle East and Asia after no less than four undersea Internet cables were cut without explanation are spurring suspicions that a major event of geopolitical proportions may be just around the corner.

Staged event in Middle East imminent?

What else I find interesting is this. I posted a thread the other day on the US "Cyber War Games". They had major problems while going through different attack scenarios. Most of which dealt with internet attacks. Here is a link to thread:
Cyber War Games

Makes you wonder if these are linked somehow. Gotta do some more digging.

reply to post by palehorse23


palehorse, in the article you posted, I found the quote below a little suspicious.

Most notably, Israel and Iraq are unaffected by the outage.

source

Boy, if that quote doesn't tell you something could be up. What a nice co-inky-dinky that the outage missed those two players. Somebody figure up the odds on that.

This IS history isn't it?

This IS the first time this has ever happened or not?

I'm surprised this wasn't on national news tonight in the U.S. .... oh right we don't care about what happens to anyone except us.

Originally posted by Techsnow
I'm surprised this wasn't on national news tonight in the U.S.

You are being sarcastic .... right? The only thing allowed on the news anymore is so and so shot so and so and the firemen arived just in time to save Aunt B's kitty from the big scary tree.

Hummm 4 cables get cut. Mean ol Iran and other parts of the Mid east have no communications. If I read correctly, they can, but it is being rerouted through our servers.... Im thinking, there is soooo much data that we need to sort through every bit of it and only allow the important stuff to continue on down the line...you know....for the good of all in this unfortunate crisis.

hey loam, I thought this was interesting from 2006, seeing as there is a missing seismic buoy:

Quake cuts off much of Asia Internet

Internet and phone services have been disrupted across much of Asia after an earthquake damaged undersea cables, leaving one of the world's most tech-savvy regions in a virtual blackout.

From frustrated traders seeking in vain for stock quotes to anxious newshounds accustomed to round-the-clock updates on world events, millions of people from China to Japan to Australia were believed to have been affected.

There was no chaos on the stock exchanges or any of the other doomsday scenarios of science fiction, but reports that services could be down for weeks were dramatic enough.

"It is not a matter of days," said Hong Seoung-Yong, an official with South Korea's information and communication ministry. "It will take longer than that to repair the damaged lines."

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Taiwan on Tuesday night, which was followed by several smaller quakes in the region, apparently damaged the vast network of underwater cables that enables modern communication.

You see any connection?

Also: I think I found the original source of the report, from TeleGeography:



[edit on 1-2-2008 by TrueAmerican]

Iran was supposed to open its petroleum exchange market today, the Iranian Oil Bourse.
en.wikipedia.org...

The long-awaited Iranian Oil Bourse, a place for trading oil, petrochemicals and gas in various non-dollar currencies, will soon open.

Iran's Finance Minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari told reporters the bourse will be inaugurated during the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution (February 1-11) at the latest.

www.presstv.ir...

Makes you wonder...

Originally posted by Golack
Makes you wonder...

Nope, makes it all crystal clear.

Excelent find ( a star for you )