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A WAVE OF cyber attacks which hit some of the most popular sites on the internet yesterday could have been the result of an inside job, according to a former FBI agent.
The attacks crippled online giants including Twitter, Netflix, Playstation and Amazon by hampering or outright blocking access to popular online venues.
This was done through incapacitating a crucial piece of internet infrastructure.
“When I see something like this, I have to think state actor,” said Carbon Black national security strategist Eric O’Neill, a former “spy hunter” on the FBI counter-intelligence force.
This is not some hacker sitting in his basement typing away on a keyboard.
The attack was said to put a troubling new spin on an old hacker attack known as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), where millions of devices in the fast-growing internet of things (IoT) took part in the cyber onslaught.
Armies of computers infected with malicious code are typically used in DDoS attacks intended to overwhelm targets with simultaneous online requests.
Hacker software referred to as Mirai that takes control of IoT devices was evidently linked to the attack, with the broad range of devices making requests helping get past Dyn defences.
“We are seeing attacks coming from a number of different locations,” according to Dale Drew, chief security officer at Level 3 Communications – an internet services company.
In a video posted online, he said:
“We are seeing attacks coming from an internet-of-things botnet that we identified called Mirai also involved in this attack.”
Possible probe
Heavyweight cyber attacks that seem to yield trouble but no apparent payoff could be probing defences to refine tactics for use on high value targets such as utilities or transportation systems, according to O’Neill and other computer defence specialists.
The attack could also have been meant as a message from a foreign power, cyber security analysts told AFP.
The onslaught commanded the attention of top US security agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security.
“DHS and the FBI are aware and are investigating all potential causes” of the outages, a spokeswoman said.
The outages left internet users unable to post messages, shop, watch videos and play games online for parts of the day.
Dynamic Network Services Inc, which manages internet traffic, said around 11.00 GMT that its infrastructure had been hit by a distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attack in the eastern part of the United States.
The initial attack was resolved within about two hours but the company, known as Dyn, was slammed with a second DDoS wave.
DDoS attacks involve flooding websites with more traffic than they can handle, making them difficult to access or taking them offline entirely.
Domain name servers are a crucial element of internet infrastructure, converting numbered Internet Protocol addresses into the domain names that allow users to connect to internet sites.
The DDoS attack hit what is akin to a directory assistance service used to route online traffic to the right addresses, meaning that even though networks such as Level 3 were running normally they couldn’t be reached.
A map published by the website downdetector.com showed the effect was felt across the US and into Europe
“The critical point is how fragile our internet is that these attacks can happen,” O’Neill said.
He worried what damage such attacks might do in less computer security savvy sectors such as finance, energy or transportation.
Dyn put out a status update at 2217 GMT saying the incident had been resolved.
Amazon Web Services, which hosts some of the most popular sites on the internet, including Netflix and the homestay network Airbnb, said that it also staved off one attack, only to be hit with similar problems several hours later.
Battle of the Bulge
DDoS attacks have been in the hacker arsenal for quite some time, but abated as companies learned how to defend against them. Security analysts say there has been a resurgence.
According to Verisign, the number of DDoS attacks rose 75% year-on-year in the second quarter of this year.
Such attacks have escalated “thanks largely to the broad availability of tools for compromising and leveraging the collective firepower of so-called Internet of Things devices – poorly secured Internet-based security cameras, digital video recorders and Internet routers,” cyber security specialist Brian Krebs wrote in a post at krebsonsecurity.com.
Attackers use DDoS attacks for a range of purposes, including censorship, protest and extortion.
The loose-knit hacktivist network Anonymous in 2010 targeted DNS provider EveryDNS and others as retribution for efforts to block the anti-secrecy organization WikiLeaks.
Roland Dobbins, principal engineer at the networks security company Arbor Networks, told AFP that, though it was spectacular, the attack was a constant and relentless fact of life on the internet.
“It’s like a combination of the Wild West, Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge on the internet every day,” he said.
He felt that the attack’s scale did not necessarily mean the attackers had large resources.
“It does not require a nation-state to launch a DDoS attack of this magnitude or impact,” he said. “When it comes to DDoS attacks, states are just another player.”
James Scott, co-founder of the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology, said the attacks demonstrated well-known vulnerabilities of the internet.
“Simply put, the internet in its original and modern form was not designed with security in mind,” he told AFP.
- © AFP 2016.
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No breaches of regulations?! But regulation states no more than 15 people and there was 100 at this gathering?!
@Becky Blight: another make it up as they go Job in regards to regulations! Quick enough to set up checkpoints and annoy decent people, but not those oxygen thieves
@Becky Blight: maybe it was 10 gatherings of 10 people or simply 100 people who happen to be in the one place (being facetious). Unless a gathering has been specifically defined as a legal term, it will be hard to enforce. Like in restaurants. You can’t have a function, but you can book 6 separate tables of 6 which are adjacent to each other
@Shinners Abú: it’s like this the Garda,s hands are tied .If you appeal to some people to lower the tone and do the right thing and they tell you to F. O and it’s not actually law well what can you do
@Shinners Abú: some people are above the law at both ends of the social spectrum.
Just the suckers in the middle who have to pay for everything and obey all the rules.
@Becky Blight: it’s only a recommendation, so not a lot they can do about it
@Becky Blight: I was just about to make that comment. That’s just laughable
@Becky Blight: The 15 people limit is set in law in S.I 326 of 2020 if I remember correctly. However, this is an S.I taken by the minister for health under the Health Act of 2020, and it is not related to the Government’s Plan. Which itself is advice and therefore not enforceable. So bottom line is, 15 people is enforceable under S.I 326, not under the health plan. But as usual they’re spoofing and probably have no idea what they can or can’t enforce. Sure half the government couldn’t tell you what’s law and what isn’t.
@Shinners Abú: What should the Gardai have done so?? They carried out the right approach to the situation.
@Ths Fer: Sorry everyone. My bad. S.I 352 of 2020 replaces S.I 326 and specifically sets out restrictions for Dublin. The Gards can in fact actually enforce restricting Dubliners from leaving Dublin and people from other counties from coming to Dublin (Par 13). This S.I expires on 10/10/2020. In this S.I if you read it, “relevant county” means Dublin and “relevant person” means Dubliner. Turns out it’s not just advice, it’s actual law or should be presumed to be unless reading the latest statutory instrument tells you otherwise.
@Becky Blight: they were asked and complied as is the requirement.
It’s an offence to organise such an event, not participate
@Ths Fer: what’s the actual Garda powers though?
@Ths Fer: there’s no penalties and enforcement powers in there though.
@Becky Blight: Which law was broken, and is there a power of arrest laid down in legislation for it?
@Mark O Mahony: Turn on the water cannons
@Becky Blight: it’s not a breach to attend. It’s a breach to organise an event which doesnt comply with the guidelines.That’s why the Gardai are looking for the organisers.
I wouldn’t be fond of the drink now but when I do go at it I do go at it very hard I do have 45 pints and then I will have a packet of crisps or a packet of peanuts and then I’d be half dead anyway so I’d absolutely engulf the toilet bowl with the full power of my bowls. Anyway the next days Maureen would have the fry on and I’d have 15 or 20 sausages, and then I’d go at the drink again. Thered be no shtopping me at all.
@Darrell O’Malley: basthards
@Darrell O’Malley: we’ve heard it all before Darrell. Even I’ve read this before and I don’t go on The Journal that much.
@Darrell O’Malley: man paddy
@Nicola Moore: hey Nick dont b disin our poet he like just citing the gospels according to the Paddy eep he peace sister
@Nicola Moore: want to me meet up for a few drinks ?
@Darrell O’Malley: shouldn’t throw bowls at toilet
If a gathering like this is not considered a breach. Then we are all in deep trouble. The government punishes the compliant while letting the non compliant do as they please.
@Ger O’Reilly: I don’t believe anyone has been punished, has someone been arrested and prosecuted for attending an outdoor event?
@Ger O’Reilly: Pretty much sums it up. It’s much easier to crack down on the compliant.
@Karl: I couldn’t visit my ill mother in hospital. My wife’s gran passed we hadn’t seen her in person in months. Not all punishment involves garda. These all relate to numbers climbing because of this sort of fu behaviour.
@Frank Gooding: sorry Frank, sorry for your loss
AH HEYOR, LEAVE IH OUH
@Stephen Gaffney: There was a bird from Oliver Bond that used to say that alot!
And what about the 50+ group of teenagers in blackrock having fun pushing each over and group hugs with not a mask or garda in sight today? or the packed canals i drove past from work filled of people having drinks and a picnic? It’s not like everyone in the city knows they are there, well apart from every Guard it seems. So checkpoints on the roads. Hands up who has seen people partying and drinking in the middle of the roads all day?
@Trevor Donoghue: Its only relevant when the ones participating are below the social class of the ones reporting it.
@RiainOg: check the electoral district maps for the incidents, South inner city among highest cases per 100k.
@Trevor Donoghue: what offence is being committed by having a picnic and what powers of enforcement so Gardai have?
C’mon smart man, tell be how Gardai can arrest people for having a picnic and please, quote the actual law.
@Trevor Donoghue: Picnics?? What’s next jogging????
This is why Dublin has been moved to level 3. It is unfortunate that these people are selfish and lack intelligence. They don’t care if they get the virus. They don’t care if they pass the virus on. They have no compassion, no empathy, and not a brain cell among them. They need to be locked up for their own safety, but more importantly for the safety of others. So why did the Gardai disperse them to further spread the virus instead of locking them up for fourteen days?
@Teresa O’Halloran: using what powers?
@Teresa O’Halloran: I bet your fun to have around…
Local Shinner TD ‘Snotty’ when asked on Morning Ireland about personal responsibility of those attending the ‘large gathering’ he ignored the question and took off on a rant blaming the Guards. He is going to see the Commissioner, GSOC et al. about it. No point in laying any of the blame on your constituency voters. Shinners have history when it comes to blaming the Guards.
@Mary Cahill: Yes sure SF organised it, sure they probably invented the covid in the first place.
@Badger the witness:
A trite answer to avoid giving a real answer, typical SF tactic when they are called out.
@Mary Cahill: Why dont you actually have a pop at the current government parties for not legislating properly in order to allow police to do their jobs? Doesnt suit your agenda. The current “guidelines” are a mess but let’s blame the opposition for this.
@Gerard Smith:
You are right. We don’t know whether these are restrictions, advice or legal requirements. That goes without saying. However I was commenting on a Sinn Fein TD who refused to agree that it was the personal responsibility of everyone, whatever the age, to behave so as not to endanger anybody else. Instead the Shinner went for the populist option and carried on a rant against the garda. The Garda may have a case to answer but Snodig was not interested in the facts just votes.
Tey were buzzin, mista
@Brian Murphy: it’s “gaaaawd.we were only have a buzz like”
Zero #^^+* given.
@Derek Byrne: massive fines needs to be introduced
@Ross: And who’s going to pay the massive fines? Good luck chasing that lot down!
@Ross: they’d never be able to pay then they’d end up in court and give a sob story broken home drug & alcohol abuse get community service fail to show end up in court again get sentenced to 3 months turn up at mount joy sign a form get a meal and bus money home or taxi. About the best thing to happen these people who had the party is they get Covid and suffer badly but survive then become advocates of lockdown and spread the message not the virus
@Tom Harpur Photography so same as phil hogan then?
@Tom Harpur Photography: take it out of dole money at source at €100 per week.
@Ross: Totally agree. In other countries people who break the rules must be fined. It’s when people’s pockets are hit the rule breakers might see sense. We need to make a law first and warn the public that there will be fines for those who break the restrictions. The UK have now imposed fines. Other counties in Europe have done the same. Why is Ireland not doing the same!!
@Ross: added to all the other fines that they more than likely have. Good luck chasing that fine down. Bottom line is they are oxygen thieves.
I’m sick of seeing that phrase “only oxygen thieves” thrown in. It implies that anyone you personally can’t get on with, who dresses too casually, deserves to die – especially if they have no money. I thought we were a republic, not a monarchy at the whim of an autocrat. Apparently we’re all paying customers now or dead men.
It’s ok as they were “dining outdoors” They all had spice bags and cripps sangwiches
Should have arrested every single one of the little runts, make them spend the rest of the pandemic behind bars for their complete and utter selfishness
@Adam J: As a society we should appreciate young adults who help generate herd immunity by living normal lives and keeping society afloat. Thank you, thank you, thank you. When people throw misguided complaints at you, falsely claiming that you are endangering others, remember that the opposite is true.
@Adam J: Rather than spend time behind bars, could they spend time serving in bars?
@Rory Mac Daibhéid: Go have a walk around Oliver bond hahaha and see if you still have appreciation for those poor little misunderstood fellas
@Rory Mac Daibhéid: The Spectator is a right wing rag for starters and herd immunity has not happened,
@Gary Kearney: okay. It’s an alternative opinion. I’m not sure how the Irish approach is going to work all winter into the future like this. So when i see other opinions i would like to think NPHET would consider them. Herd immunity is not what is needed but immunity in general population that stops the virus surging again, this is what Sweden appears to have.
How did they get up for work.
They should have had golf barbecue, they would have been left alone if they did.
For all the “my rights” keyboard warriors, this reckless behaviour is the reason we need to legislate to make breaching the regulations a prosecutable offence. It’s so easy to complain that “your rights” are paramount but unfortunately too many forget that their responsibilities are the flip side of their rights.
If it wasn’t a breach why was it broken up?
@David Clements: they didn’t break it up. People were asked to disperse and did so
As the landlord, what will the council do? As the council starts buying its way into more and more private housing developments around the city, people are watching, warily.
“No breaches of regulations detected”..,,, what an absolute joke. A 100 people squeezed into a small outdoor football pitch. If regulations weren’t been breached then why were they asked to disperse.
South side always at it
@Gerrard: ROOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEERS
There were NO police at this gig. They’re too afraid to go into the flats – absolute drivel that the Gardai responded to this! This went on until 5am and it happens every weekend.
Muppets!!!!
Probably un-PC to call this lot what we all know they are. From birth they contribute nothing positive to society and blame everyone else for their situation. When it comes to a pandemic they raise their ugly heads again and make a bad situation worse.
I think the majority of us have seen the video of last nights party in Oliver Bond flats at this stage so let’s cut the BS
Ah, the Gardai…always instill confidence in their professionalism
@PF: what would you have liked them to do considering they have absolutely no pets of arrest or enforcement?
At the end of the day, a given country is only as good and developed as the population who inhabits it.
This is the same place where people were seen clapping and applauding our Health Workers. All seems to be forgotten now – grrrr
The rain is coming and that will end the outdoor partying. Our clerically controlled ‘Public’ schools do not teach civics…….we reap what we sow.
It’s the Oliver bond flats, social housing, huge levels of crime, poor education so a greater following of misinformation
Have you seen the morning after pictures of this, laughing all the way, gas out
Close the off licences and you will stop the virus in two weeks
@Owen: totally agree and all supermarkets that have an off licences
@Owen: Go away..
@Owen:
I am amazed that off licences were not closed when pubs were closed as well as the licensed sections of supermarkets. It would cut down on the availablity of alcohol and restrict house parties.
Choose from anyone that goes by Jacko, Daymo, Wiilo, Padser, Edser, Resder and so on…
@Itsonlyme: harsh! Im a law abiding citizen
Ah yes The “Up De Flats” lot showing true colours as always. Law onto themselves. Irony being in this very complex they’ve Irish flags “thanking” The HSE frontline workers everywhere. Hypocrites, most of them anyway.
@Gavin Mckenna: many of the party goers were not from the flats. The residents rang the cops but no reply
Dirty dubs , and taxi drivers dropping people off to the rave , let’s see if the taxi drivers will strike over that , turn blind eye money talks
Once again our boys in blue leave it late in catching someone deliberately breaking the law, if they reacted when it was happening they wouldn’t have to try and find them.
@James Hayes: you really don’t know the area, gardai are literally powerless there
The government, if they were any use, should declare a state of emergency and use the army in a support role. Perhaps if they tackle gangs who care for no one other than themselves with water cannon or tear gas they wouldn’t be so quick to go to these so called parties. There is absolutely no point in ministers wringing their hands and appealing to these baboons to behave responsibly. They don’t know what responsible behaviour is.
@Barry Delaney: Putting the army on the streets would mean the civil power have failed, they haven’t. Putting troops on the streets is a dangerous option, look at the North, when Jim Callaghan put the British army on the streets it was to protect the catholic population and looked what happened afterwards.
@Barry Delaney: “declare a state of emergency and use the army in a support role.”
A military dictatorship? (temporary of course, sure aren’t they all!)
Why not. A welcome change of pace on the nightly news anyway.
@Kevin50: OK Kevin, let’s not bother with that idea. The Gardai can continue driving around the area and doing nothing until there are thousands of cases a day and the health service is totally overwhelmed with the elderly population being wiped out but that wouldn’t be an emergency would it?
Anyone know what the 3 stooges are at ?
The name is Bond, Oliver Bond.
@Fachtna Roe: Oliver Bond would turn in his grave
That’s why these people have these sort of gatherings cos they know there is no consequences for them. The government are are joke. Bring in fines to anyone that attends and jail the people who organise. That will soften their cough.
I’m just gonna build a bunker in my back garden and stay there till there’s a vaccine…
Only just read the article now and it would seem that it was a high profile drug party and guards arrived 5 hour after being called. Well done lads, you make us proud! Keep focused on your silly checkpoints where you have no powers rather than putting in some effort where required. Avoid real policing at all costs, a shambles like the Govt and NPHET. With these making and implementing the guidelines what can possibly go wrong!!!!!!
Nothing to be done. No law passed.
Times like this i couldnt be happier i moved out of dublin less people means less hassle.
Me rashers are drippin at the thought of it.
Antisocial behaviour, surely a reason to evict them?
Mind you, most of us leave letters to cool off for a couple of days before opening them. Obviously this is still not a hanging crime – outrageous.
Why aren’t An Garda issuing on the spot fines?
@Liam Crowe: Good luck getting cash out of them. Sure after buying lotto tickets, ciggies and drink there’s no cash left to pay fines.I feel sorry for the non partying residents that have to put up with that. There is probably non stop fireworks too.
Surely no where in the constitution it states no more than 15 people outside together. So this rule is only a recommendation. It would be scary if the powers that be can rush in such “laws”
Remember VAT & universal social tax were meant to be temporary. I’m not condoning 100 people party but aware of rushed in draconian laws with not an eye lid batted by the public.
Under what law are the guards allowed to move people on or arrest?
Guards will not go in there without a garda escort.
The party was wrong but I have zero faith in the Gardai to police the city properly
100 people gathered in Oliver Bond is not much different than 80 gathered in a Golf Club.
@delmatey: Do some people have amnesia or something? I keep seeing this argument posted as some kind of defence for the Oliver Bond party, implying that the criticism is classism… But if you cast your mind back a few weeks ago to the golfgate scandal, you will remember that the whole country was fuming about it, even more so than about this..so much so in fact that we sacrificed having the trade portfolio in Europe to hold people to account.. I feel huge sympathy for the decent people in the Oliver Bond flats who have to live amongst the toe rags who organised this party but those that organised this party and attended fully deserve to be slated! Even if there wasn’t a pandemic, the mess alone that they left behind them was selfish and disgusting!
Maybe should build a wall around the flats !
Where’s trump! Trump for Ireland 2024 (after his next job)
These are the half-wits of our society that don’t have the mental capacity to understand the situation that we are in.
Covid aside is this event not illegal? Noise pollution? Drug use? Health and safety concerns? Private property? Unaccompanied Minors? Drinking in a public place? Surely cannot just have a large event like this unless have some kind of licence to do so besides the drugs?
Breaking all the rules risking their lives . Totally wreckless.
When the people can’t go to the pub, the pub will come to people. Simple.
The cops are responsible for enforcing public order.
According to the law.
The messers in Kildare St. need to give them the legal mandate to deal with feral youths.
No quarter for social ignorami, the responsible citizens health depends on it.
Now.
Shock horror
Ah yeah but let’s blame the pubs instead and close them all
As a society we should appreciate young adults who help generate herd immunity by living normal lives and keeping society afloat. Thank you, thank you, thank you. When people throw misguided complaints at you, falsely claiming that you are endangering others, remember that the opposite is true.
@Rory Mac Daibhéid: so while we are waiting for all the young people to become immune how many older people will die. Nice of you to think of yourself.
With flu pandemics, herd immunity is usually attained after two to three epidemic waves, each interrupted by the typical seasonality of influenza virus and more rarely by interventions, with the help of cross-protection through immunity to previously encountered influenza viruses, and vaccines when available10. For COVID-19, which has an estimated infection fatality ratio of 0.3–1.3%1,5, the cost of reaching herd immunity through natural infection would be very high, especially in the absence of improved patient management and without optimal shielding of individuals at risk of severe complications.
@paul mccoy: it’s called an opinion from an Professor from Harvard.
I can’t predict the future and neither can you so not sure why you think I would be happy for people to die.
The Article is very clear it that less people would die. Maybe try read it first. It’s not my expert advice and it’s clearly not considered by NPHET and maybe , just maybe you might like to think they’ve considered it!?
@Rory Mac Daibhéid: Herd immunity has been debunked many times as you have a chance of getting reinfected, and on top of that you can spread it recklessly to your nearest and dearest without realising. Just don’t do it.
@Paul Cunningham: debunked how, we don’t know or can’t predict the next few months. I would not be reckless so need to suggest that . I kind of think young people picking up the virus at this time of year could be a good things, its a theory. Also it’s not my decision to approve government policy. I would like to think that NPHET might consider we need to follow the immunity for general population, not herd immunity , model to stop surges. This is believe is the Swedish approach. So i don’t think its reckless. It also suggests its safer for vunerable people to do this. Anders Tegnell would explain better.
Acting like they are politicians and their cronies, disgraceful.
Southsiders….
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