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Kyrgyzstan under cyberattack

Tom Espiner ZDNet.co.uk | January 29, 2009 8:50 AM PST

Summary

Central Asian country Kyrgyzstan is under cyberattack, similar to attacks launched by Russia against Estonia and Georgia.
Central Asian country Kyrgyzstan is under cyberattack, according to Information Warfare Monitor.

The attacks bear similarities to attacks launched by Russia against Estonia and Georgia.

Since last week Kyrgyzstan has been under a "massive denial of service attack", according to Information Warfare Monitor. Three out of four ISPs have been put out of action, while upstream providers in Russia and Kazakhstan have refused traffic due to the scale of the attacks.

Credit: Kyrgyzstan under cyberattack was originally published on ZDNet.co.uk.

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He's helping to stop it
AzuMao 3rd Feb 2009
By not leaking to much information about it to the public, obviously.





But seriously, you're right. It might not have been a software attack. It could have been something else, in which case it isn't a Windows problem.
They are reclaiming what was theirs. I cant say that i wouldnt if i had the chance.

They have the money now, so why not. I dont agree with it, these are soverign countries though.

Now the russians did leave alot of nukes in different places... that would be my only worry with issues like this, maybe thats why the we put up a fake hissey fit then do nothing?
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Whose weapons?
kozmcrae 29th Jan 2009
American solders, in various conflicts, have often found themselves under fire from weapons produced by American corporations. The weapons don't care. They'll kill anyone they're pointed at.

So now we have "weapons grade" attack software. Any guess as to how long it will remain corralled? If indeed it still is.

If Microsoft is going to die, which it probably won't (not completely anyway), it won't be from a single event. It will be from a series of unrelated but collectively destructive events. Vista was one. A storm of state sponsored, highly lethal malware would be another one. I say catastrophic because a simple condition RED, which is what we've lived under for as many years as Microsoft has controlled the desktop, is ignored. It's business as usual. "Mom, I think the computer has another virus". Not, "Mom, Microsoft Windows is infected again". A subtle but very important difference.
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This nonsense your spewing about Windows getting viruses like a toad has warts is ridiculous. If someone cant install a simple free AV program and keep it and the OS updated then they deserve to get malware. It couldn't be any simpler these days to keep Windows malware free. Once the security is installed it doesn't cost anything and updating can be done mostly automated in the background so it also often takes no work.

The days of the MS hating crowd relying on Windows security problems for justifying their ludicrous overzealous hatred of Windows has long since lost any credibility. Windows has been an easy to secure OS for many years now. Better teach the kids to stop installing infected questionable software. If your going to say why not just hook the kid up with Linux then sure, now all you have to tell him is he has to stop playing games on the computer.

If Linux works for you then fine. Linux is a great OS for those who's needs it meets. But if your telling me that you don't know how to secure Windows then either your a liar or you don't know the most simple and basic things about operating a computer. Its your choice now pick one.

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Agreed
AzuMao 3rd Feb 2009
He was totally delusional when he said "Windows getting viruses like a toad has warts".













Toads don't have NEARLY that many warts.
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***SHOCKER***

They have electricity or is it generated from a Jeep sitting on concrete blocks with a belt wrapped around a rim running a alternator!

I am shocked!
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"Or"?
AzuMao 3rd Feb 2009
Why "or"? If they were doing that, they would have electricity, wouldn't they?
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RE: Kyrgyzstan under cyberattack
everlong1018 29th Jan 2009
This may actually be worse than what most people are taking it for. Most people out there don't realize that the United States has an Air Force base in this country, which is a major stepping stone to get soldiers to Afghanistan. If this is similar to what Russia did to Georgia...are they unintentionally starting a conflict with the U.S.? Think about it...
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And the ammunition for this cyberwar?
kozmcrae 29th Jan 2009
Microsoft's OS. The code is just the weapon.
I fail to see why, but if you insist.
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Verification?
ryumaou@... 3rd Feb 2009
What tools did you use to verify that? The article on Infowar-Monitor only describes it as a denial-of-service attack, which could be using anything. As I'm fascinated by computer security, I'd love to know the methodology behind your research which supports your claim.

Also, since you've identified the problem, how are you helping to stop it or prevent it in the future?
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He's helping to stop it
AzuMao 3rd Feb 2009
By not leaking to much information about it to the public, obviously.





But seriously, you're right. It might not have been a software attack. It could have been something else, in which case it isn't a Windows problem.
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correction
pgit 3rd Feb 2009
You mean "what Georgia did to Russia." Georgia hit first, and hard, killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure.

The chemistry of the area, including Kyrgyzstan, is "oil pipeline."
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RE: Kyrgyzstan under cyberattack
thebrettd 29th Jan 2009
If it truly is a RUSSIAN STATE SPONSORED attack, not
just one originating from inside Russia, the timing
seems a little coincidental with the reports of Putin
telling off Micheal Dell at Davos.

Maybe Putin was right when he told Dell that Russia is
not a bunch of invalids and they really don't need
Dell's help afterall. Is Putin proving his point?

http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/28/news/companies/dell.da
vos.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009012814
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RE: Kyrgyzstan under cyberattack
Don_Quixote 29th Jan 2009
"Moscow is hundreds of kilometers away and yet it's as close as a TV set," said my history professor once. She was damn right!..

Now if the developed nations truly want to spread democracy and freedom around the world, why not indeed help third world countries maintain access to free and democratic information space? With time such investments will pay off as the younger generation grows and learns the new information technology along with freedom of self-expression and constructive debates online.

Concrete proposals are simple and rather inexpensive: it would really help to send Peace Corps (or other) volunteers or scholars with IT Teaching background. The local population, especially the younger generation, does possess decent fluency in English, some German, and some French. However, advanced levels of technical proficiency such as building social networking websites, network security, wiki-pages, etc. are lacking. So, training local students (both at high school and college level) such technical skills would really boost the country's potential to defend its information freedom.

That would be a truly grassroots program with long-lasting impact instead of an unknown number of non-transparent NGOs and foreign credits that have nothing to do with the ordinary people.

Don_Quixote

A travesty. Maybe AOL should offer them a free dialup line.
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RE: methinks they want more territory
ca1ic0cat 30th Jan 2009
cyberterritory? isn't that like cybersex but without the orgasm?

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