-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Rejected posting to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: 18 Aug 2000 18:38:42 -0000 From: "Oscar " <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.disinfo.com NWO Hackers: The Covert War Against Antiwar.com A covert army of pro-establishment hackers has emerged dedicated to harassing, disrupting, and intimidating on-line opponents of US and NATO-backed "humanitarian" operations in the former Yugoslavia. Antiwar.com, a bipartisan, libertarian-oriented Web site providing critical news and commentary for those opposed to US military entanglements overseas, has become a digital flashpoint for this clandestine ground war. On July 30th 2000, the site experienced a nearly lethal cyber-invasion by a trio of prowling information warriors who gained access to Antiwar's Internet Service Provider (ISP) and proceeded to dislocate the site�s web structure and delete large quantities of data. Fortunately, the intruders left behind several electronic footprints, subsequently traced to three computer-savvy Bosnian government officials. That war-torn nation's continuing financial dependence on American tax dollars and military muscle provides an obvious motive for someone within the Bosnian government to undermine any organization opposed to the cozy and lucrative relationship between Washington and Sarajevo. Additional evidence suggested that the online assault's origin was not as clear-cut as it seemed. Joe Vigorito, owner of Eagle Net, Antiwar's ISP, made the startling discovery that the "DNS server for the IP address was coming out of a [German].mil address on the day of the attack." This portentous revelation seems to point toward military or NATO involvement in the attack. If so, this won�t be the first time Antiwar has attracted the attention of the national security state. Vigorito notes that among his many clients, Antiwar "gets attacked more than anybody," and cites "40 or 50 attempts to get into the site" over the past 18 months. "That�s an extremely high number," he adds. In late Spring, the software programmed to tabulate the number of visitations the site receives each day inexplicably crashed after thousands of hits began emanating from a cabal of Pentagon-funded cyber-soldiers known as the Army Computer Emergency Response Team (ACERT). Conceived in 1997 in response to CIA reports alleging a rise in Internet espionage, ACERT was formed to detect cyber-spies, protect military computer networks, and ensure greater Internet security. However, not unlike the FBI Hostage Rescue Team (HRT), which promotes its defensive capabilities while wielding the deadly tactical arsenal displayed during the 1993 WACO siege, the program possesses an impressive offensive capability as well. A "hacker demonstration was conducted as part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony," recounts Master Sgt. Joan Fischer in a 1997 article discussing the newly formed military unit which appeared in the Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) Journal. As an ACERT official later explained, it is imperative that one must "think like a hacker and try to break into a system." This offensive strategy was further alluded to in Federal Computer Week (September 23rd, 1999) when an anonymous naval spokesman confirmed the existence of an "Information Operations Cell" used during the 1999 Balkan campaign whose mission included "actions taken to affect adversary information systems." Does this broad mandate include American organizations deemed politically suspect? "Any government functions that are involved in national security can be changed from offensive to defensive in the flick of a mental switch," responds Eric Garris, Director of Antiwar.com. Repeated attacks on Antiwar.com and others may signify a tactical shift in government Internet surveillance. Invasive technology like ECHELON and CARNIVORE may soon be complemented by these proactive COINTELPRO-type measures. Acting under cover of anonymity, state-sponsored hackers have the potential to effectively disable dissident Web sites while remaining free of constitutional scrutiny. Garris predicts that the presence of these online thought cops will metastasize in the coming years. "They're just getting started," he warns. Research by Cletus Nelson [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. 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