Anonymous Threatens to Attack Stock Exchange

[caseagainstfaith]

The FBI is investigating threats purportedly from the hacking collective that calls itself Anonymous to bring down the New York Stock Exchange on Monday by hacking into its computer system.

Members of the notorious hacker group appear to be threatening to bring the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York to a dangerous new level, sounding a call to “declare war on the New York Stock Exchange" on Monday by “erasing" it from the Internet.

“The FBI is aware of these schemes and threats and is looking into the matter,” FBI spokesman Tim Flannelly told FoxNews.com.

The hackers say they plan to launch a DDoS (or distributed denial of service) attack on the NYSE’s computer systems -- the same type of computer attack that brought down numerous websites last Spring, making them inaccessible.

Anonymous has also separately declared the Stock Exchange announcement a hoax, and it remains unclear whether this is an official effort by Anonymous, a group of rogue hackers or someone else entirely.

Either way, the FBI is investigating.

“It is a crime to show the intent to carry out a hack when you are in possession of software or computer applications to do so and we take it seriously,” FBI spokesman Flannelly said.

In one of the videos, which was addressed to the media, a narrator states, “We can no longer stay silent as the population is being exploited and forced to make sacrifices in the name of profit. We will show the world that we are true to our word. On October 10, NYSE shall be erased from the Internet ... expect a day that will never, ever, be forgotten.”

In a video addressed to the public, the narrator states, “We are the 99 percent. You have complained that something needs to be done. You now have an opportunity to make a difference. Join the protests. Organize your own. Watch online. Be a part of the movement.”

A digital flier has circulated online with the banner “Operation Invade Wall Street: This is not an occupation. This is an invasion,” and instructions how to participate in “three simple steps.”

www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/10/04/hacker-group-anonymous-threatens-to-attack-stock-exchange/?google_editors_picks=true

You know, I would say this might be a bluff but at the same time, the amount of stuff anonymous has been able to hack into I wouldn't be surprised anymore if they do find a way/ found a way into the stock exchange as well.

[lighthorseman]

*popcorn*

[Her3tiK]

Yeah.... can't say I'll be at all sympathetic if they actually go through with it. Not holding my breath though.

[RavynousHunter]

Anon is getting like the season finales of the new Dr. Who series. Each one is just a little more balls-to-the-wall awesome than the last.

[catanon]

I doubt this is actually Anonymous threatening them, but if it is, Dagon help them. The lulz shall rain from the sky.

[Yaezakura]

I hope it really is Anon doing it. Kind of doubt it, but a girl can dream. Someone with the power needs to slap those fuckers in the face. And as terrifying as this fact sometimes is, Anon may be the single most powerful "organization" on the planet.

[Art Vandelay]

...So they seriously expect us to believe they can successfully DDoS the New York Stock Exchange? As in one of, if not the most important stock exchange in the world that as a result deals with astronomical amounts of traffic on a daily basis? Call me crazy, but I don't exactly have high hopes for anything actually happening come Monday.

[Napoleon the Clown]

DDoS is usually accomplished by not just having the people who are directly involved making a ton of requests to the server, but by hijacking other people's computers (to one extent or another) and having those computers also sit and send requests and all that jazz.

I still doubt they'll be able to get enough computers involved to do much more than maybe slow things down a tiny bit. I also doubt that this is more than a handful of assholes posturing and trying to be macho.

[Art Vandelay]

Oct 4, 2011 23:30:33 GMT -5 Napoleon the Clown said:

DDoS is usually accomplished by not just having the people who are directly involved making a ton of requests to the server, but by hijacking other people's computers (to one extent or another) and having those computers also sit and send requests and all that jazz.

I know that, I simply doubt it'd take any less than an entire continent's worth of computers to bring down the New York Stock Exchange. Rather outside of Anon's abilities methinks.

[Runa]

I'll see what happens. I've yet to decide if this is for the lulz or the evulz.

[worlder]

DDoS is just one kind of electronic attack.

It is like overcrowding a house.

But if they intend to leave viruses and such.

Well then that is shitting on the floor of the house. And smearing it on the walls. And on the furnitures.

[Tiberius]

Oct 4, 2011 23:02:24 GMT -5 Yaezakura said:

I hope it really is Anon doing it. Kind of doubt it, but a girl can dream. Someone with the power needs to slap those fuckers in the face. And as terrifying as this fact sometimes is, Anon may be the single most powerful "organization" on the planet.

Err... I'm not sure how you can say Anon is anything near the most powerful organization in the world. I mean, if a relatively small group, or a particularly retarded individual, managed to get their attention, yeah, they will make thier life a living hell. But the worst they will do here is slow them down for a couple hours. You might as well say that a wasp may be the most powerful creature on the planet because it can kill a caterpillar.

[Keiro]

Oct 4, 2011 23:30:33 GMT -5 Napoleon the Clown said:

DDoS is usually accomplished by not just having the people who are directly involved making a ton of requests to the server, but by hijacking other people's computers (to one extent or another) and having those computers also sit and send requests and all that jazz.

I still doubt they'll be able to get enough computers involved to do much more than maybe slow things down a tiny bit. I also doubt that this is more than a handful of assholes posturing and trying to be macho.

Actually, there's a specific attack that can successfully DDoS anything with nothing more than one computer.

Our servers have limited protection against it, but it is still vulnerable to that specific attack.

Gotta love having the TCP_WAITING session attacks happen. :/

Open at least 200-300 connections like that, say goodbye to the webservers. They'll die quick if you can open that many half-open connections that take up connection slots on the server itself.

We're continually improving our anti-DDoS methods, but... of late, Hurricane Electric, one of the major MAJOR backbones, is experiencing widespread DDoSes affecting damn near the entire US backbone infrastructure they have.

Pretty sure Anon can do this to the NYSE, if the NYSE aren't keeping up on security.

[murdin]

Oct 4, 2011 18:44:15 GMT -5 caseagainstfaith said:

“It is a crime to show the intent to carry out a hack when you are in possession of software or computer applications to do so and we take it seriously,” FBI spokesman Flannelly said.

This would be nice if the FBI took public death threats as seriously. Especially considering that most Americans are in possession of the perfect piece of hardware to do so.

Oh, and "software or computer applications". Yeah. We sure can trust the cops as well as the FBI to backtrace those scoundrels and ban them from the Internet.

[Mlle Antéchrist]

So, what would taking down the NYSE achieve, exactly, beyond screwing over a bunch of innocent people while most of the rich, corporate assholes grab their money and run? This isn't Fight Club, it's the real world.