Do you know what a denial-of-service attack is? If not, here’s a bit of information from Professor Wikipedia. Basically its the process of overloading servers with requests so that information can’t reach its intended targets. You end up making a website unavailable by using up its bandwidth, thereby denying it the ability to disseminate information.
I would never recommend such an attack on domestic servers or those intended for honest, ethical purposes. I’m also not officially recommending an attack on the state-run news websites in Iran. I am, however, informing you that users on Twitter are spreading a way to take down such websites that spread propaganda for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his illegitimate government.
How? By using a web application called Page Reboot. Page Reboot automatically reloads a website of your choice every time you’ve programmed it to. So let’s say we want to take down Fars News, which is a mouth-piece in Iran for the government. We would enter the url and set it to reload every second. It will then request the website every one second, overloading the servers and shutting out the website. You can use the service on multiple websites at once by opening multiple tabs.
Again, I’m not officially recommending such tactics. But if you so desire, here are links for official Iranian websites dedicated to spreading propaganda for the Ahmadinejad regime: Fars News, Irib.ir, Live.Irib.ir, IRNA.ir, PressTv.ir. All you’d have to do is open one or several of those links in tabs and allow the web application to run while you surf in another tab.
You, know, if you want to or something.
More: TechPresident.
Update: A commenter insists I add a disclaimer to the post: You are launching DOS attacks at your own risk. I believe they are illegal in the United States. However, many thousands of Americans have been launching said attacks on the propaganda outlets of a State Department-designated state-sponsor of terrorism. Like I said, you attack at your own risk. I won’t recommend either way.
15. June 2009 at 8:35 am
Well, I’m against cyberterror in any form. Calling for DOS attacks could be illegal under US law and that of many other countries, even if they’re “only” used against Iran’s horrible regime.
What’s on the other side to outweigh this? Eleminating the information advantage the established Iranian media has now? Will that really help the opposition, or will it just result in even more irresponsible rumours heating up the tension? And doesn’t this give the ayatollahs an easy argument for “proving” that the riots are fueled by the west? Looks like a dangerous game to me, that could easily backfire…
:-/
15. June 2009 at 8:44 am
One other point: You seem to see the legal danger in this, too, because you carefully phrase you’re “not officially recommending an attack on the state-run news websites in Iran”. Uh huh. Now, wouldn’t it be a good idea to inform your readers, too, about the potential legal consequences of misusing page reboot for such a cyberattack? And if you’re not sure about the law, wouldn’t it be better not to risk leading your readers into trouble?
Just sayin…
15. June 2009 at 12:25 pm
Many thousands of Americans, including prominent ones in the political community, were providing instructions on Twitter last evening on how to carry out the attacks.
The Obama Administration’s Justice Department would have to pursue charges against thousands of its own people who were attempting to take down the state-run propaganda websites of a State Department-designated state sponsor of terror.
My concern is more moral than legal in the recommendation.
15. June 2009 at 8:21 pm
Here are links to other Iranian government sites, which can be useful for “legal” purposes only, of course:
http://www.parstimes.com/gov_iran.html
16. June 2009 at 5:54 am
Well, there’s of course also a broader point, beyond the question of legality. Imho foreign interference in Iranian affairs at theis point is not helpful, and even can seriously backfire. See, the ayatollahs would love to be able to point fingers at the west for setting up the protests and manipulating the masses! So, don’t give them any evidence they could use to divert attention from their own failures! And respect the courage and the determination of the Iranian people, bravely protesting for changes despite the very real danger for their lives, by not making it look as if they simply are the pawns of the west.
Disrupting Iranian media would only be a minor inconvenience for the regime, but may provide the ayatollahs with an argument for shutting down even more communication channels. I understand the desire to do something to help the protesters, but beware of all consequences of your actions! Sry, but cyberterrorism really isn’t helpful at all
27. June 2009 at 12:47 pm
Whatever could possibly motivate someone to speak out against crashing the Iranian government’s web sites? Is it megalomania?
The world has too many lawyers!
28. June 2009 at 4:39 am
The Iranian regime is always going to blame the U.S.A. and Britain and “the West” for whatever problems they have. Creating chaos and confusion by hacking the government web sites can only hurt the regime, which is rounding up, torturing and murdering innocents as I type. Hack their sites. Let Obama walk softly.