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| Global internet slows after 'biggest attack in history' | Global internet slows after 'biggest attack in history' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The internet around the world has been slowed down in what security experts are describing as the biggest cyber-attack of its kind in history. | The internet around the world has been slowed down in what security experts are describing as the biggest cyber-attack of its kind in history. |
| A row between a spam-fighting group and hosting firm has sparked retaliation attacks affecting the wider internet. | |
| It is having an impact on popular services like Netflix - and experts worry it could escalate to affect banking and email systems. | |
| Five national cyber-police-forces are investigating the attacks. | Five national cyber-police-forces are investigating the attacks. |
| Spamhaus, a group based in both London and Geneva, is a non-profit organisation which aims to help email providers filter out spam and other unwanted content. | Spamhaus, a group based in both London and Geneva, is a non-profit organisation which aims to help email providers filter out spam and other unwanted content. |
| To do this, the group maintains a number of blocklists - a database of servers known to be being used for malicious purposes. | To do this, the group maintains a number of blocklists - a database of servers known to be being used for malicious purposes. |
| Recently, Spamhaus blocked servers maintained by Cyberbunker, a Dutch web host which states it will host anything with the exception of child pornography or terrorism-related material. | Recently, Spamhaus blocked servers maintained by Cyberbunker, a Dutch web host which states it will host anything with the exception of child pornography or terrorism-related material. |
| Sven Olaf Kamphuis, who claims to be a spokesman for Cyberbunker, said, in a message, that Spamhaus was abusing its position, and should not be allowed to decide "what goes and does not go on the internet". | Sven Olaf Kamphuis, who claims to be a spokesman for Cyberbunker, said, in a message, that Spamhaus was abusing its position, and should not be allowed to decide "what goes and does not go on the internet". |
| Spamhaus has alleged that Cyberbunker, in cooperation with "criminal gangs" from Eastern Europe and Russia, is behind the attack. | Spamhaus has alleged that Cyberbunker, in cooperation with "criminal gangs" from Eastern Europe and Russia, is behind the attack. |
| Cyberbunker has not responded to the BBC's request for comment. | |
| 'Immense job' | 'Immense job' |
| Steve Linford, chief executive for Spamhaus, told the BBC the scale of the attack was unprecedented. | Steve Linford, chief executive for Spamhaus, told the BBC the scale of the attack was unprecedented. |
| "We've been under this cyber-attack for well over a week. | "We've been under this cyber-attack for well over a week. |
| "But we're up - they haven't been able to knock us down. Our engineers are doing an immense job in keeping it up - this sort of attack would take down pretty much anything else." | "But we're up - they haven't been able to knock us down. Our engineers are doing an immense job in keeping it up - this sort of attack would take down pretty much anything else." |
| Mr Linford told the BBC that the attack was being investigated by five different national cyber-police-forces around the world. | |
| He claimed he was unable to disclose more details because the forces were concerned that they too may suffer attacks on their own infrastructure. | |
| The attackers have used a tactic known as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), which floods the intended target with large amounts of traffic in an attempt to render it unreachable. | The attackers have used a tactic known as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), which floods the intended target with large amounts of traffic in an attempt to render it unreachable. |
| In this case, Spamhaus's Domain Name System (DNS) servers were targeted - the infrastructure that joins domain names, such as bbc.co.uk, the website's numerical internet protocol address. | In this case, Spamhaus's Domain Name System (DNS) servers were targeted - the infrastructure that joins domain names, such as bbc.co.uk, the website's numerical internet protocol address. |
| Mr Linford said the attack's power would be strong enough to take down government internet infrastructure. | Mr Linford said the attack's power would be strong enough to take down government internet infrastructure. |
| "If you aimed this at Downing Street they would be down instantly," he said. "They would be completely off the internet." | "If you aimed this at Downing Street they would be down instantly," he said. "They would be completely off the internet." |
| He added: "These attacks are peaking at 300 gb/s (gigabits per second). | He added: "These attacks are peaking at 300 gb/s (gigabits per second). |
| "Normally when there are attacks against major banks, we're talking about 50 gb/s." | "Normally when there are attacks against major banks, we're talking about 50 gb/s." |
| Clogged-up motorway | Clogged-up motorway |
| The knock-on effect is hurting internet services globally, said Prof Alan Woodward, a cybersecurity expert at the University of Surrey. | The knock-on effect is hurting internet services globally, said Prof Alan Woodward, a cybersecurity expert at the University of Surrey. |
| "If you imagine it as a motorway, attacks try and put enough traffic on there to clog up the on and off ramps," he told the BBC. | "If you imagine it as a motorway, attacks try and put enough traffic on there to clog up the on and off ramps," he told the BBC. |
| "With this attack, there's so much traffic it's clogging up the motorway itself." | "With this attack, there's so much traffic it's clogging up the motorway itself." |
| Spamhaus is able to cope, the group says, as it has highly distributed infrastructure in a number of countries. | Spamhaus is able to cope, the group says, as it has highly distributed infrastructure in a number of countries. |
| The group is supported by many of the world's largest internet companies who rely on it to filter unwanted material. | The group is supported by many of the world's largest internet companies who rely on it to filter unwanted material. |
| Mr Linford told the BBC that several companies, such as Google, had made their resources available to help "absorb all of this traffic". | Mr Linford told the BBC that several companies, such as Google, had made their resources available to help "absorb all of this traffic". |
| The attacks typically happened in intermittent bursts of high activity. | The attacks typically happened in intermittent bursts of high activity. |
| "They are targeting every part of the internet infrastructure that they feel can be brought down," Mr Linford said. | "They are targeting every part of the internet infrastructure that they feel can be brought down," Mr Linford said. |
| "We can't be brought down. | "We can't be brought down. |
| "Spamhaus has more than 80 servers around the world. We've built the biggest DNS server around." | "Spamhaus has more than 80 servers around the world. We've built the biggest DNS server around." |