Flipside Movie Emporium

[Michael Scrutchin]

From Yahoo! News:

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Internet experts brace for hacker contest

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Internet security experts warned of the possibility of a wave of cyberattacks this weekend in a hacker contest that could lead to the disruption of many computer networks.

The so-called "Defacer's Challenge," scheduled for Sunday, aims to deface up to 6,000 websites over the course of six hours, according to security experts.

"While there is no guarantee that this event will actually take place, the possibility is reason enough to verify your security and patch readiness," Counterpane Internet Security said in a message to clients.

"In light of this upcoming activity, it is doubly important to verify that all production and mission-critical servers have the latest vendor-approved security patches and that firewall rules and access lists are in place and properly formatted."

Another firm, Internet Security Systems (ISS), made a similar announcement and raised its warning level to 2 on a scale of 1-4, suggesting increased vigilance.

ISS analysts "are in the process of monitoring the hacking challenge in order to determine the effect the competition may have on the Internet," the company said.

"We strongly encourage system administrators to review their current security policies and ensure that all current and known security issues have been addressed."

The US Department of Homeland Security, however, played down the threat, saying it has issued no new warning on the matter.

"Hacker contests are relatively common, so I'm a little mystified why this is receiving so much attention," said agency spokesman David Wray.

While the agency has notified corporate chief information officers, Wray said, "We have not put out any public warning on this."

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Some people have too much time on their hands.
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Michael Scrutchin
Flipside Movie Emporium
www.flipsidearchive.com