WikiLeaks backers hit MasterCard and Visa in cyberstrike

Reuters ^ | December 8, 2010 6:16pm EST | By Keith Weir

[bd476]

Credit card giants MasterCard and Visa came under intense cyber attack on Wednesday as supporters of WikiLeaks retaliated for moves against Julian Assange after the release of U.S. diplomatic cables that angered and embarrassed Washington.

The Swedish prosecution authority, whose arrest order for Assange over accusations of sexual offenses led a British court to remand the 39-year-old WikiLeaks website founder in custody, also said it had reported an online attack to police.

Assange's online supporters hit the corporate website of credit card firm MasterCard in apparent retaliation for its blocking of donations to the WikiLeaks website.

"We are glad to tell you that www.mastercard.com/ is down and it's confirmed!" said an entry on the Twitter feed of a group calling itself AnonOps, which says it fights against censorship and "copywrong."

Visa Inc's site was temporarily unavailable late on Monday in the United States and the same group claimed responsibility for bringing it down.

Sources told Reuters that WikiLeaks' next release may highlight U.S. government reports on suspected militants held at Guantanamo Bay, which some U.S. officials fear could show some detainees were freed despite intelligence assessments they were still dangerous.

Mark Stephens, Assange's principal lawyer in London, denied the WikiLeaks founder had ordered the cyber strikes, which appeared to target companies seen as cooperating with efforts to rein in Wikileaks.

Assange "did not give instructions to hack" the company websites, Stephens told Reuters.

MasterCard, calling the attack "a concentrated effort to flood our corporate web site with traffic and slow access ...

[anniegetyourgun]

Adding to the pressures to move everyone to biometrics...in the hand (fingerprint) or head (retinal scan). So much easier to control the population that way too - and keep the “wrong” folks from participating in the economy. Oh wait...that would never happen.

[sappy]

while i agree that this group needs to stop, why do i think this is some effort where the end goal is two fold.

1. Weaken the US and it’s relationships around the world and;

2. create environment where the need to egulate and tax the use of the internet is established. for our own good.

[bd476]

Taking down businesses in revenge doesn't seem likely to be of any long term benefit for Assange. After all, Assange and his staff live on donations from people who are connected in one way or another to all the online businesses under attack.

[Christian Engineer Mass]

Yeah, I remember reading something about getting that mark being a bad thing.

[Fred Hayek]

Fine. Anyone who contributed to Wikileaks since Julian Assange took over should have their MasterCard and Visa accounts barred. Not by government action, but by business decision by MasterCard and Visa. It’s called freedom of association. Those involved in the cyberstrike of course are open for charges of wire fraud.

[bd476]

Fred Hayek wrote: "Fine. Anyone who contributed to Wikileaks since Julian Assange took over should have their MasterCard and Visa accounts barred.

Not by government action, but by business decision by MasterCard and Visa. It's called freedom of association. Those involved in the cyberstrike of course are open for charges of wire fraud."

That's an excellent plan. Hopefully they're working on it. This whole situation is not good for anyone.

[BigSkyFreeper]

It benefits nobody but those who have a seat at the table of power.

[bd476]

anniegetyourgun wrote: "Adding to the pressures to move everyone to biometrics...in the hand (fingerprint) or head (retinal scan). So much easier to control the population that way too - and keep the 'wrong' folks from participating in the economy. Oh wait...that would never happen."

Good point.

[vigilence]

So instead of trying to fight them electronically why don’t we just send some NSA/CIA types to their servers and let loose with a few quick bursts of 9 mm?

[anniegetyourgun]

The only kind of points I make!
' )

[bd476]

BigSkyFreeper wrote: "It benefits nobody but those who have a seat at the table of power."

True. The behind the scenes shuffling to get to those seats is undoubtedly a scene of chaos right now.

[bd476]

vigilence wrote: "So instead of trying to fight them electronically why don't we just send some NSA/CIA types to their servers and let loose with a few quick bursts of 9 mm?"

There's no real way of knowing what's going on right now.

[bd476]

sappy wrote: "while i agree that this group needs to stop, why do i think this is some effort where the end goal is two fold.

1. Weaken the US and it's relationships around the world and;

2. create environment where the need to egulate and tax the use of the internet is established. for our own good."

That's a scary possibility.

[Right Wing Assault]

They are hurting a lot of small businesses and customers. More people want to strangle Asshinge now.

[Gabrial]

Economic Terrorists

I hope they enjoy git-mo

[2nd Bn, 11th Mar]

George Soros hates Assange - pass the word!

[randog]

Why does this Assange fellow remind me of that moron that flew his plane into the IRS building in Texas? A few reasons:

1) They're both omputer geeks;
2) They both have crackpot political philosophies;
3) They're both d**ks.

Really, isn't Wikileaks just the political equivalent of a Post-Naked-Pictures-Of-Your-Ex website? Assange is nothing more than a political porn fetishist.

[patriciaruth]

Do I get my beastie chip inserted before or after my pat down?

[Shery]

Soros must be having a heyday!