:: Deepquest ::

Unknown attackers for hours knocked offline an independent security Web site, zone-h.org, that was verifying reports of online vandalism and being used by hackers to tally points for the competition. U.S. government and private technology experts warned last week that such vandalism was likely.
How come script kiddies using hotmail accounts (2 security flaws in a month…) can be trusted? Unless you’re part of the press I don’t see any reasons.

Three such vigilante-style attacks forced the hacker organizer, who identified himself only as “Eleonora[67–,” to extend the contest until 3 p.m. Sunday. But with continued attacks disrupting the ability of vandals to claim credit for their break-ins, some experts said it could be later this week before damage from this weekend’s hacking would be known.
The hackers’ contest did not disrupt traffic on the Internet, but Eric Siegel, principal Internet consultant for San-Mateo based Keynote Systems, said that wasn’t expected.

“They didn’t say they were going to bring down the Internet. They said they were going to interfere with Web sites, and they did manage to do that.”

But few if any major sites were affected, Siegel said Sunday.

“The hackers simply went and found unprotected Web sites and defaced them. The major sites know how to cope with this.”

Keynote Systems’ services are employed by some 2,500 clients who want to measure and improve the performance of their Web sites.

By late Sunday afternoon, hackers claimed responsibility for vandalizing hundreds of mostly obscure sites, such as ones for Security Title Co. and the Heart of Montana Realty Services, both of Bozeman, Mont.

“We’re just a teeny little company,” said Barb Asper, whose husband, Don, is one of the owners of Heart of Montana Realty. In a telephone interview, Don Asper called the attack “bothersome,” before he and his wife contacted the firm’s Web site provider to have the vandalized page replaced.

There were no reports of vandalism involving flagship Internet sites most consumers would recognize, a testament to improved online security over the past decade inside large corporations, government agencies and organizations.

more from [url=http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/Stories/0,1413,87%257E11268%257E1498539,00.html] San Mateo county times[/url]

really I can’t believe that more than 154 online news sites spread the info, anyway it was a good viral marketing project.