WikiLeaks Supporters Aim Cyberattacks At PayPal

WikiLeaks Supporters Aim Cyberattacks At PayPal

blogs.forbes.com

Within hours, according to the cybersecurity researchers at Panda Labs, the loose group of hackers that calls itself Anonymous launched a distributed denial of service attack that threw junk traffic at the web server of the blog that had made the WikiLeaks announcement, and by 4am had taken the site offline. An Anonymous twitter account released a note claiming credit: “TANGO DOWN — thepaypalblog.com — Blog of Paypal, company that has restricted Wikileaks’ access to funding.”

The attacks continued for more than eight hours, Panda’s researchers say, until PayPal was able to get i

(visit the link for the full news article)

Whilst I understand the frustration of people at the way the Wikileaks site has been taken down by the PTB, and I support a transient attack of this kind, I have to say that any long term attack on this particular site could be damaging for many small businesses that depend on PayPal for income from sales.

Over the weekend WikiLeaks’ twitter feed asked for volunteers to host a copy of the site, and by Sunday night, more than 350 alternative WikiLeaks mirrors had already been created.

This seems to me to be a much better way of dealing with things.

There is a thread on ATS about Twitter censoring #Wikileaks???. This is not good if it is true. (Edit: just found out that is an old topic but it may be relevant Oops - fell foul of the American date format. This is current.)

blogs.forbes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)



Edit: There may be some truth that Twitter is censoring at least the trending. See this blog post of yesterday

Government corruption is even more of a threat to small business, and all ordinary people.
There will be inconvenience, but if we're not prepared to put up with inconvience to change our world for the better, we never will.

reply to post by PuterMan


I have to say I disagree with you on this one.

Paypal needs to learn its' lesson - the small businesses you speak of can use an alternative service quite easily. Thereby denying Paypal the lifeblood of its' business.

The attack only refers to the blog anyway, not a system-wide breach of the Paypal payment system. That's the main target that the relevant people need to tackle... hint hint.

I hope Paypal falls down dead sometime soon.

Rev.

reply to post by PuterMan


Little do these idiots realize is that they are just feeding the beast. They are going to be the cause of the internet being shut down through their actions. And no I don't agree when big brother does it either, two wrongs don't make a right. But considering the mentality that we are dealing with it doesn't surprise me.

If this doesn't have a reason for web censorship written all over it, I don't know what does...

Originally posted by thecinic
If this doesn't have a reason for web censorship written all over it, I don't know what does...

The web is going to be censored ANYWAY, so let's do the damage whilst we can eh?

Rev.

Originally posted by The Revenant
reply to post by PuterMan

 

I have to say I disagree with you on this one.

Paypal needs to learn its' lesson - the small businesses you speak of can use an alternative service quite easily. Thereby denying Paypal the lifeblood of its' business.

The attack only refers to the blog anyway, not a system-wide breach of the Paypal payment system. That's the main target that the relevant people need to tackle... hint hint.

I hope Paypal falls down dead sometime soon.



Rev.

Why because Paypal is an independent business that had it's TOS laid out plain and simple and someone violated them so now Paypal is the bad guy?

Originally posted by PuterMan
I have to say that any long term attack on this particular site could be damaging for many small businesses that depend on PayPal for income from sales.

Paypal is a CHOICE most people make usually because it's so darn easy to get set up and is one of the obligatory methods eBay forces for sellers in the first place and so people don't bother to set up and/or use other ways for accepting payment, especially once they are established and profitable.

Maybe it's time those who use it realised their mistake in the first place and start using some of the other methods.

Paypal are criminals, this is justice, those that feed the beast have no right to complain.

Originally posted by jaynkeel

Why because Paypal is an independent business that had it's TOS laid out plain and simple and someone violated them so now Paypal is the bad guy?

If Paypal had a legitimate right and capability to discern what constitutes legal or illegal activity, then they would be quite within their rights to shut down the account.

The fact that Wikileaks have NOT done anything illegal speak for itself. Paypal have acted wrongly, and deserve to bite the big one for it.

Rev.

I am not happy with this at all..I DO depend on PP to get paid..I make my living as a graphic designer, and my customers pay me with PP. So saying people can get alternative means of support, you are dead wrong.

It was just a matter of time ...



I love these guys!

The only problem of course with this is that it may not have the intended consequences for illegal acts of righteousness are often used as a pretext for draconian measures from the ptb ... still, at some point we all need to stand up for what is right.

The battle lines for control of the internets are drawn ... on one side the gatekeepers on the other the ordinary people. Which side will we stand with? This in fact has little to do with wikileaks ... if one stands for any form of censorship now because they don't agree with WL that person forfeits any future right to a free internet.

reply to post by The Revenant

I have to say I disagree with you on this one.

I understand what you are saying. My concern is just that small businesses are going to be hit by outages on PayPal and that will only serve to disenfranchise these people from the cause of trying to get openness in Government.

Paypal is in the business of stealing money from people.

They are the real criminals here, and they deserve everything anonymous throws their way.

Originally posted by Yummy Freelunch
I am not happy with this at all..I DO depend on PP to get paid..I make my living as a graphic designer, and my customers pay me with PP. So saying people can get alternative means of support, you are dead wrong.

Are you saying there are no other payment processors online that are dependable, and cheaper than PP?

If so, you are dead wrong.

reply to post by BigTimeCheater


Im saying my business is set up with paypal, and that is how I make my living. So, while you guys are laughing and rubbing your hands..im wondering how the hell Im going to pay my electric bill.

reply to post by Yummy Freelunch


This is my point. It is people like you that suffer from this kind of action.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of PayPal, and I am not sure what was meant that they steal money, taking them down damages the people whose support we need and that is not intelligent.

Originally posted by PuterMan
Whilst I understand the frustration of people at the way the Wikileaks site has been taken down by the PTB, and I support a transient attack of this kind, I have to say that any long term attack on this particular site could be damaging for many small businesses that depend on PayPal for income from sales.

I guess they will just have to find another handler of cards then eh?

I'm not too worried... this is how a free market works... you can't have a free market without financial crises.

reply to post by Yummy Freelunch


Try another payment provider.

There are plenty out there.

reply to post by PuterMan


Thank you, and yes, it's us little people that are being hurt by this. It wont change Paypal's mind, it only hurts the innocent. They have never done wrong by me, and Ive used them for 7 years. I dont use banks.