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Mastercard 'hit by Anonymous Wikileaks revenge attacks' Mastercard 'hit by Anonymous Wikileaks revenge attacks'
(40 minutes later)
Internet hacktivists have claimed to have brought down the Mastercard website Internet hacktivists have claimed they brought down the Mastercard website.
The Anonymous group of hackers have also brought down the website of the Swedish prosecutors office which is pursuing founder Julian Assange.The Anonymous group of hackers have also brought down the website of the Swedish prosecutors office which is pursuing founder Julian Assange.
It has pledged to launch hits on websites it sees as anti-Wikileaks.
But Mastercard said there was "no impact" on people's ability to use their cards for transactions.But Mastercard said there was "no impact" on people's ability to use their cards for transactions.
Earlier Anonymous hit the Swiss bank that froze Mr Assange's assets. Anonymous has claimed to have hit several targets including the Swiss bank that closed Wikileaks' head Julian Assange's account.
PayPal, which has stopped processing donations to Wikileaks, has also been targeted.PayPal, which has stopped processing donations to Wikileaks, has also been targeted.
The online payment firm has admitted that it stopped payments following a request from the US government.
"State Department told us these were illegal activities. It was straightforward," PayPal's Osama Bedier told the Le Web conference in France.
PayPal had originally said Wikileaks' account had violated its terms of services.
Swamp site
Anonymous is a loose-knit group of hacktivists, with links to the notorious message board 4chan.Anonymous is a loose-knit group of hacktivists, with links to the notorious message board 4chan.
"We are glad to tell you that Mastercard is down and it's confirmed," the group tweeted. "We are glad to tell you that Mastercard is down and it's confirmed," the group tweeted on 7 December.
However, Mastercard said the site was still functioning. Soon after, Mastercard said the site was still functioning.
"MasterCard is experiencing heavy traffic on its external corporate website - MasterCard.com - but this remains accessible," said Doyel Maitra of the firm. "Mastercard is experiencing heavy traffic on its external corporate website - Mastercard.com - but this remains accessible," said Doyel Maitra of the firm.
"We are working to restore normal speed of service. There is no impact whatsoever on MasterCard or Maestro cardholders' ability to use their cards for secure transactions." "We are working to restore normal speed of service. There is no impact whatsoever on Mastercard or Maestro cardholders' ability to use their cards for secure transactions."
'Wake-up call'
Security experts have said the site has been under a so-called distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS), which swamp a site with so many page requests that it becomes overwhelmed and drops offline.Security experts have said the site has been under a so-called distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS), which swamp a site with so many page requests that it becomes overwhelmed and drops offline.
Access to the website appears to be possible intermittently and it is still visible from some countries.Access to the website appears to be possible intermittently and it is still visible from some countries.
Noa Bar Yosef, a senior analyst at security firm Imperva said the attacks were "very focused".Noa Bar Yosef, a senior analyst at security firm Imperva said the attacks were "very focused".
"It is recruiting people from within their own network. They are actually asking supporters to download a piece of code, the DDoSing malware, and upon a wake-up call the computer engages in the denial of service," he said."It is recruiting people from within their own network. They are actually asking supporters to download a piece of code, the DDoSing malware, and upon a wake-up call the computer engages in the denial of service," he said.
'Wake-up call'
Earlier Anonymous confirmed other targets: "In response to the arrest of Julian Assange, Anonymous has taken down PostFinance.ch, who terminated Wikileaks bank account, using a distributed denial-of-service attack.Earlier Anonymous confirmed other targets: "In response to the arrest of Julian Assange, Anonymous has taken down PostFinance.ch, who terminated Wikileaks bank account, using a distributed denial-of-service attack.
"Subsequently, Anonymous attacked http://www.aklagare.se, the Swedish Prosecutors office, also using a DDoS attack, and took the site down in under 10 seconds of beginning the attack.""Subsequently, Anonymous attacked http://www.aklagare.se, the Swedish Prosecutors office, also using a DDoS attack, and took the site down in under 10 seconds of beginning the attack."
Increased traffic
Before the Mastercard attack, a member of Anonymous, who calls himself Coldblood, told the BBC that "multiple things" were being done to target companies that had stopped working with Wikileaks or which were perceived to have attacked the site.Before the Mastercard attack, a member of Anonymous, who calls himself Coldblood, told the BBC that "multiple things" were being done to target companies that had stopped working with Wikileaks or which were perceived to have attacked the site.
"Websites that are bowing down to government pressure have become targets," he said."Websites that are bowing down to government pressure have become targets," he said.
"As an organisation we have always taken a strong stance on censorship and freedom of expression on the internet and come out against those who seek to destroy it by any means.""As an organisation we have always taken a strong stance on censorship and freedom of expression on the internet and come out against those who seek to destroy it by any means."
"We feel that Wikileaks has become more than just about leaking of documents, it has become a war ground, the people vs. the government," he said."We feel that Wikileaks has become more than just about leaking of documents, it has become a war ground, the people vs. the government," he said.
Some of the early DDoS hits failed to take sites offline, although that was not the point of the attacks, according to Coldblood.Some of the early DDoS hits failed to take sites offline, although that was not the point of the attacks, according to Coldblood.
"The idea is not to wipe them off but to give the companies a wake-up call," he said. "Companies will notice the increase in traffic and an increase in traffic means increase in costs associated with running a website.""The idea is not to wipe them off but to give the companies a wake-up call," he said. "Companies will notice the increase in traffic and an increase in traffic means increase in costs associated with running a website."
DDoS attacks are illegal in many countries, including the UK.DDoS attacks are illegal in many countries, including the UK.
Coldblood admitted that such attacks "may hurt people trying to get to these sites" but said it was "the only effective way to tell these companies that us, the people, are displeased".Coldblood admitted that such attacks "may hurt people trying to get to these sites" but said it was "the only effective way to tell these companies that us, the people, are displeased".
Anonymous is also helping to create hundreds of mirror sites for Wikileaks, after its US domain name provider withdrew its services.Anonymous is also helping to create hundreds of mirror sites for Wikileaks, after its US domain name provider withdrew its services.
Ending contractsEnding contracts
The attacks are part of an ongoing infowar involving Wikileaks.The attacks are part of an ongoing infowar involving Wikileaks.
The whistle-blowing site has also been hit by a series of DDoS attacks, following the release of a quarter of a million US embassy cables.The whistle-blowing site has also been hit by a series of DDoS attacks, following the release of a quarter of a million US embassy cables.
It is unclear who is behind the attacks but it seems that Wikileaks is getting too hot to handle as many of the businesses that work with the site, distance themselves from it.It is unclear who is behind the attacks but it seems that Wikileaks is getting too hot to handle as many of the businesses that work with the site, distance themselves from it.
On 3 December, domain name provider EveryDNS cut off service, citing the denial-of-service attacks as the reason.On 3 December, domain name provider EveryDNS cut off service, citing the denial-of-service attacks as the reason.
Amazon also ended an agreement to host the site, saying Wikileaks failed to adhere to its terms of service.Amazon also ended an agreement to host the site, saying Wikileaks failed to adhere to its terms of service.
It said that Wikileaks was unable to ensure that it "wasn't putting innocent people in jeopardy" by leaking classified documents.It said that Wikileaks was unable to ensure that it "wasn't putting innocent people in jeopardy" by leaking classified documents.
Online payment company, PayPal, has permanently restricted Wikileaks' account, making it harder for supporters to make donations.
The Swiss bank, PostFinance has also closed the account of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.The Swiss bank, PostFinance has also closed the account of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
In most cases, the companies originally insisted their decisions were not politically motivated. The bank said Mr Assange had provided false information when opening his account.
But PayPal has since admitted that it stopped payments following a request from the US government.
"State Department told us these were illegal activities. It was straightforward," Osama Bedier, of the firm, told the Le Web conference in France.
PayPal had originally said Wikileaks' account had violated its terms of services.
PostFinance, meanwhile, claimed Mr Assange had provided false information when opening his account.