The Assclown Offensive: How to Enrage the Church of Scientology

In the evening of January 15, 2008, a 31-year-old tech consultant named Gregg Housh sat down at the computer and paid a visit to one of his favorite Web sites, the message board known as 4chan. Like most of the 5.9 million people who visit the site every month, Housh was looking for a few cheap laughs. Filled with hundreds of thousands of brief, anonymous messages and crude graphics uploaded by the site's mostly male, mostly twentysomething users, 4chan is a fountainhead of twisted, scatological, absurd, and sometimes brilliant low-brow humor. It was the source of the lolcat craze (affixing captions like "I Can Has Cheezburger?" to photos of felines), the rickrolling phenomenon (tricking people into clicking on links to Rick Astley's ghastly "Never Gonna Give You Up" music video), and other classic time-wasting Internet memes. In short, while there are many online places where you can educate yourself, seek the truth, and contemplate the world's injustices and strive to right them, 4chan is not one of them.

Yet today, Housh found 4chan grappling with an injustice no Internet-humor fan could ignore. Days earlier, a nine-minute video excerpt of an interview with Tom Cruise had appeared unauthorized on YouTube and other Web sites. Produced by the Church of Scientology, the clip showed Cruise declaring himself and his co-religionists to be, among other remarkable things, the "only ones who can help" at an accident site. For the online wiseasses of the world, the clip was a heaven-sent extra helping of the weirdness Tom Cruise famously showed on Oprah. But then, suddenly, it was gone: Scientologists had sent takedown notices to sites hosting the video, effectively wiping it from the Web.

Housh and other channers knew that Scientology had a long history of using copyright law to silence Internet-based critics. But this time, maybe because the church was stifling not just unflattering content but potential comedy gold, the tactic seemed to inflame the chortling masses. That evening, Housh logged in to an IRC channel frequented by like-minded chuckleheads and started talking with five others about the Cruise video. There was a sense that something must be done, but what? One of them logged out and posted a call to action on 4chan and some similar sites. By the middle of the night, 30 people had joined the chat. Within a couple of days, a consensus emerged: They would take down the main Scientology Web site with a massive distributed denial-of-service attack, or DDoS.

By the time the attacks started on January 18, Housh and many of the now 200 others on the chat channel were devoting every spare moment to the cause: "We were like, OK, we have 24 hours today. None of us need to sleep. Get your caffeine. What's the next step?"

Someone suggested they create a press release. Housh and four others broke off into a side channel to work on it while the DDoS attacks unfolded. They figured they should explain the goals of their spontaneous uprising, but what exactly were those goals? "We had no fricking clue what we were doing," Housh says. "We didn't mean to do it in the first place." They were still more of a riot than a movement—a faceless, leaderless mob growing daily as new adherents flocked in. None of them knew one another, even by pseudonyms, since as a rule there was only one username throughout the community. In fact, it was a standing in-joke on 4chan and related sites that their collective output was the product of a single hive-mind entity, known by that same username: Anonymous.

Instead of a press release, Housh and the others made a video introduction in the name and voice of the hive mind itself. Thrown together in a few days of furious collaboration, it appeared on YouTube on January 21, titled "Message to Scientology."

"Hello, leaders of Scientology. We are Anonymous," the clip began in a robotic, software-generated voice-over accompanied by stock footage of clouds rolling over desolate cityscapes. "Your campaigns of misinformation, your suppression of dissent, your litigious nature: All of these things have caught our eye," the voice explained. "For the good of your followers, for the good of mankind—and for our own enjoyment—we shall proceed to expel you from the Internet and systematically dismantle the Church of Scientology in its present form." The message ended, as it had begun, on a pitch-perfect note of sci-fi comic book menace: "We are Legion," the robot voice intoned. "We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us."

Source: http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/17-10/mf_chanology

Website Security - Be Hacker Proof!

At first glance, online shopping seems easy as 123 because of how easy it is to choose, compare and purchase different products with the help of search engines. According to a survey of American online shoppers, 41% abandon their carts once they face difficulty in the transaction process. This only indicates that the story doesn't always have a happy ending. Some online shoppers do encounter difficulties, confusion and misleading tactics that make them discontinue the shopping or subscription process. Can all this be blamed to a weak website security?

If you are online merchant, you want to avoid your potential sale from turning into thin air. Surprisingly, it is not other e-commerce businesses that you should feel threatened about- even more if you know for yourself that you sell top notch products or services. It is those attackers trying to find a vulnerable spot in your website security that you should be careful of. 95% of cyber attacks are targeted to banks and businesses processing credit cards. And if you have no protection, then you have higher chances of being hacked.

Cyber crime is rising rapidly and it has become a weapon of destruction because in the year 2008 alone, the loss due to cyber crimes has reached $1 trillion. What's even more alarming is the fact that tracing these cyber criminals is almost close to impossible. Even government institutions have fallen prey to hackers, and sad to say, due lack of evidence and difficulty in tracing, they haven't had prosecuted almost any of the guilty party.

Computers were invented out of necessity and we store everything in it! This is followed by the creation of internet -a real world where we buy, sell, exchange goods and services. Are you a 100% sure that information is securely saved on your computer network and website?

Take note that hackers are privacy invaders and will try incessantly to steal your that identity and hard earned income. Cyber attackers are masters when it comes to sophisticated technology. They can insert viruses and malicious files into your system without you even knowing it. The truth is having only anti- virus software can be a false sense of security. If you really want to prevent your business from becoming a statistic in cyber crime damages, then be educated about website security. You'll have higher chances of beating the bad guys if you are aware of how they play the game of fraud.

You can only be prepared if you know what you are dealing with. Here are some cyber attacks you may not have heard of:

1. Phishing- method to steal credit card information, passwords and other important information in forms of suspicious links, and emails of spoofed websites.

2. Clickjacking - this is one of the new and most dangerous threats because there isn't any effective solution for this problem yet. So what hackers and spammers do is that they hide a malicious content under the cover of legitimate buttons or clickable items in the website. For example, you clicked 'enter' into a website but instead the hacker directed the click you made into downloading viruses. They can also create spoofs of legitimate websites, where they steal credit card information entered by shoppers.

Online shoppers face more risk of fraud than those who do physical shopping. They might thought that they have purchased real goods from a legitimate merchant, but it can be possible they were actually misled. Online merchants also face the possibility of being hacked of names, addresses and credit card information. It is no surprise that for this reason, e-commerce businesses come and go. Having no website security is like having no burglar alarm on your property. You may wake up one day and everything has been taken away.

Hackers don't only target only large businesses. In fact, they easily find unprotected systems which are mostly small to medium businesses. According to hacker safe, 75% of e-commerce is not secure. Isn't it a disgrace to be a part of that statistic? There are many ways to get started with website security. So go ahead and get started.

1. Get covered with the basics. So install at the same time: a firewall system, anti-virus program and anti spy-ware program.

2. Get trust seals. This works both ways- it increases consumer confidence thus increasing sales and secures your website from vulnerabilities that hackers can take advantage of.

3. Get a consultant. If you have a budget and you can't handle it on your own, get a consultant to take care of your system and network. They too can make professional recommendations on ways how to secure your network.

Katrina loves to write and is dedicated to doing her best in all that she does.

Adware Spam Blocker Review

Do you want to download a piece of high quality adware spam blocker to get rid of all the malware that may be in your computer right now? Most people have heard of the term adware but are not aware of the dangers that it poses to them. Adware are irritating programs that run advertisement scripts once they are successfully installed into the system. For example, you may sometimes find advertisement banners popping up whether or not you are online. This is usually the most obvious sign of adware.

1. What Are the Harmful Effects of Getting Your Computer Infected by Malware Such as Spyware and Adware?

The first harmful effect is that it will start clogging up your system with more and more advertisement pop ups and slowing down the overall processing speed. The more harmful effect is that it may be stealing sensitive information such as credit card numbers or username and passwords from the user and use them for unauthorized and illegal purposes.

The most common industrial use of adware is their use in free software. Programmers usually write malware codes into their free software to try to recoup their costs of developing the software and earning some profits in the process. By displaying such advertisements, they are able to make some money when the user either clicks on the ads or actually purchases the products referred by the advertisements.

2. Download Spyware and Adware Spam Blocker Software

It is important to first research and read reviews about the capabilities and functions of any software you are planning to download and use. Even though there are many product vendors claiming to have the most effective spyware and adware solution available, be sure to check out other user reviews for a more unbiased review first. To find out which are the best antispyware tools to use, you should check out forums or read websites with reviews provided by real life users of these protection software.

Are you looking to download Adware Spam Blocker? Don't do it yet, because the author has found many bad spyware and adware cleaning software on the web. Read the author's review of the Top 5 Spyware & Adware Removal Software on the market now at http://www.review-best.com/spyware-adware-removal-software.htm first!

Learn to completely get rid of all the spyware and adware on your computer in less than 5 minutes with a FREE PC Scan!

Perform a Confiker Virus Removal

What is the confiker virus? How can it harm me? How can I fix it for once and for all so that it does not bother me in the future? There are many different things that you can do to get rid of the confiker virus, you just want to make sure that you are taking the correct steps to get rid of it today!

There are many different aliases and variants that can potentially harm your computer. The most popular one seems to come up somewhere around april fool's day and can definitely harm your computer dramatically.

What is it, what does it do? This virus does all kinds of terrible things such as not allowing you to access specific security websites, it will erase all of your documents, and will even mess with the back-up service. It is a malicious virus that aims to delete everything in its site, it was built purely for harmful purposes and has brought down whole organizations.

The worst thing is that it can lie dormant for months at a time something like a human virus. The great thing is that there is top notch software to get rid of it before it gets to this point, as technology is increasing to battle this as well. There are other viruses that could be on your computer and currently slowing it down.

It is recommended that you get an antispyware software package that's up to date and a registry cleaner that can help you get rid of all that clutter and unnecessary junk that may be on your computer - you'll be able to speed up your computer and get rid of all that stuff for once and for all!

Are you experiencing Repair DLL Error Messages, EXE error messages, general slow downs of your computer, Sychost, System 32, Fix General Protection Fault, General Shutdown, Javascript, Activex, Adware, Spyware, Viruses, or a huge variety of errors for your computer? You can fix this with a very easy to use registry fix tool that is available for a free trial. For More Information, Visit: http://registrycleanpro.blogspot.com/

President Obama's Cyber Security Plan and What You Can Do to Support It!

A flurry of articles concerning Cyber Security and the threat it poses to our National Security have been written over the past several weeks and with great cause. The number one National Security threat to the United States has been the theft of our industrial and defense proprietary information. What many of you do not realize, is the fact that China, Russia and a few others have been stealing us blind and infecting our IT Infrastructure for many years. The have taken advantage of corporate America's extremely lax computer security protocols, hacking into their databases, planting malicious code to be activated at a later date, stealing secrets such as nuclear power development, weapon design and construction, pharmaceutical formulas, marketing plans, financial data of not only major companies, but yours as well. This is a problem that has existed for years, but has grown to such proportions that our government has finally decided that the best defense is educating our population so we ALL can do something about it.

I have written several articles related to Internet security, all of them focused on what YOU can do about it. Over the past several years, we have seen how inept the government, financial and retail industries are, when it comes to protecting critical information such as your banking records, social security and credit card numbers and other information, that, if placed in the wrong hands can ruin you. Couple this with the convenience of wireless Internet access and you have a recipe for disaster, unless you become more aware of how hackers can access your private information, and have easy to use tools to protect that critical information. Wireless Internet access is here to stay. It's convenient, cheap and easy to use, for both you and the bad guy.

Recently a major telephone service provider admitted that their wireless routers did not provide adequate protection. Last month, I commented on a recent vulnerability scan of various financial districts around the world and the miserable failing of over half of the 3,600 wireless access points tested. If your bank or your Internet service provider is not going to provide you with the means to protect yourself, who will? The answer is you! The threat is so large, that even our own government is years behind the curve in being able to provide the level of protection needed for everyone in the United States.

But, it must start somewhere and it might as well be you. You do not have to be an IT security genius. There are several applications available that are easy to use, affordable and effective. You want something that you can just turn on and know it is protecting your Internet connection. You want something that protects you from marketers and hackers collecting personal information about you. You want something that easily password protects your personal information and stores it safely wherever you place it. You want to do all of this without having to make any configuration adjustments yourself.

This application exists. The application is called Covert Surfer. Covert Surfer is an easy to use, affordable and very effective Internet Privacy and Security program that encrypts your Internet connection, no matter where you are, and prevents your neighbor, the sandwich shop owner's son and the guy sitting across the coffee shop, from stealing you blind, ruining your relationship with your girlfriend or even worse. Using industry approved, state of the art encryption, Covert Surfer protects you from identity theft, as well as your right to privacy. Covert Surfer automatically erases your cookies and encrypts your personal files for safe keeping. Covert Surfer is another great tool in the fight for Internet Identity and Privacy Protection. As an added bonus, Covert Surfer can be downloaded directly onto your computer or onto a USB Flash Drive, making it portable and a perfect travel companion.

Michael Dunleavy, President, Diginonymous, LLC
For more information on data protection visit us at http://www.covertsurfer.com

Phishing - The Dangers Are Far to Real Online

Phishing is simply not going around in the lake, and catching fish. It's a far to real internet crime that is sweeping America. Basically, it is phishing for your personal information through a fake e-mails, that appears to be from Amazon, eBay, or from your bank. (these are just an example) The reason is so crooks can gain access to your personal information and steal your identity.

A typical scam email will states that they need your password because their has been fraudulent activity on your account. It will appear to look like it is from the actual company. However, it will be addresses as Dear Sir or Dear Mam. Even more sophisticated nowadays they will use your name. Never click on any of their links because they have been known to release Trojan viruses onto you computer.

As an added warning these letters will commonly provoke you to act quickly. or your account will be shut down. Another thing to be cautious of is the sender's email will have the same return address to make it appear to be real.

These tips should help you avoid phishing online:

Never respond to the emails that ask for your personal information. If you do suspect that it is real, contact them by phone to verify.

Most companies have it in their policies, that they will NEVER ask you for personal information.

Check your latest anti phishing forums and websites to get a current update of what is going around on the internet.

Get a anit-virus program and make sure you frequently update it.

Report Online Scams
If someone does rip you off you can report it to the authorities, as well as post your story at: http://www.report-online-scams.com for free. I specialize in getting your story out their on the internet. Please check out my site before you many any more online purchases.

How to Remove Trojan Horse Virus and Worms

Would you like to learn how to remove Trojan horse virus and worms from your PC fast? There are many different types of viruses and malicious software spreading around the Internet today. To make matters worse, some malware are using very creative ways to influence innocent users to download them. For example, one of the most common ways is to use misrepresentation to get the user to click on links.

1. Beware of False Security Messages That Would Cause You To Download Malware into your Computer

The virus or worm would display a security message that warns the user that his or her computer has been infected. These viruses would display warnings that appear to be legitimate. It then entices the user to click on links that would apparently take them to sites for removal of the viruses, when in actual fact the malicious software is making the user visit an infected website and run more malicious codes on the user's system and registry.

2. What Are Some Common Ways For Trojan Horse Viruses, Malware and Worms to Infect your System?

The most common way for a PC system to get infected by malicious software is via downloads of files online, especially from free download websites. The same is true for peer to peer files sharing networks like Kazaa and Limewire. Visits to malicious websites and connection of infected media devices like a corrupted thumb-drive can also bring the problem to your PC.

3. Beware of Scam Trojan Horse Virus, Worms and Malware Software

One of the most sophisticated scams is fake protection spyware and virus removal software. They claim to help you scan your system and then report fake results in order to get you to purchase whatever "security software" that they offer. To really remove harmful malware, you need to research carefully and download only legitimate antivirus and antispyware software.

Want to learn how to Remove Trojan Horse Virus and Worms fast? Don't do it yet, because the author has found many bad spyware and Trojan cleaning software on the web. Read the author's review of the Top 5 Spyware & Trojan Removal Software on the market now at http://www.review-best.com/spyware-trojan-removal-software.htm first! Learn to completely get rid of all the spyware and Trojans on your computer in less than 5 minutes with a FREE PC Scan!