I thought it was interesting to note what got deleted - namely cryptographic (signature) protection against such attacks - and what got included - namely faked addresses. You can get the original NYT version via JYA. -Allen
_________________________________________________________________ webslingerZ _________________________________________________________________ CONCERN AT RASH OF ATTACKS BY HACKERS ON INTERNET SITES __________________________________________________________________________
Copyright © 1996 Nando.net Copyright © 1996 The Financial Times
SAN FRANCISCO (Sep 19, 1996 00:23 a.m. EDT) -- A rash of hacker attacks on commercial Internet sites -- including one in which the services of Panix, a New York-based Internet access provider, were seriously disrupted -- has raised new concerns about the security and reliability of the worldwide computer network.
[...]
Attacks have been "isolated incidents," said Pete Solvik, vice-president of information systems at Cisco Systems, the leading manufacturer of routing equipment for the Internet. The company, however, is concerned that the problem could spread, disrupting Internet service for millions of users and effectively closing down large commercial sites on the Internet.
With many banks and retailers now planning Internet services, the potential for financial losses as a result of such attacks is rising. Disruption of Internet service can also be a serious problem for the tens of thousands of businesses that now rely on electronic mail and sites on the World Wide Web to communicate with their partners and customers.
The impact of a large-scale "denial-of-service attack" can be devastating, said Solvik. Within a minute, a computer linked to the Internet can be completely overwhelmed and it may take days before service can be restored.
[...]
Because the attacks came from fake addresses on the Internet, it was "impossible to trace the source without a major effort on the part of all Internet service providers between Panix and the attacking party," said Rosen.
"The nature of the Internet, which is designed to let machines communicate with a minimum exchange of identifying information, makes every site on the Internet vulnerable," said Rosen.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's New York Computer Investigations Threat Assessment Center is understood to be investigating the attack on Panix. Computer Emergency Response Teams, a US organization that collates information about security and technical problems on the Internet, are looking into the incident.
[...]
Copyright © 1996 Nando.net