On Feb 18, 2012 7:27 PM, "Volker Armin Hemmann" <volkerar...@googlemail.com> wrote: > > Am Samstag, 18. Februar 2012, 06:00:00 schrieb Dale: > > Alan McKinnon wrote: > > > On Sat, 18 Feb 2012 04:26:02 -0600 > > > > > > Dale <rdalek1...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >> Howdy, > > >> > > >> I ran across this and though it was a joke. Did a news search and > > >> sure enough, it is reported in lots of places. Random linky: > > >> > > >> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2102856/Will-FBI-shut-Internet-Ma > > >> rch-8-virus-concerns.html?ito=feeds-newsxml > > >> > > >> Is there any truth to this mess? My bigger and better question, how > > >> is shutting down the internet going to fix this? When the net comes > > >> back up, they are still going to be infected. Right? > > >> > > >> I'm glad I run a really nice Linux OS. > > > > > > Gawd, I hate it when morons write sensational articles that attempt to > > > make sense to other morons. You get crap like that. > > > > > > So if this is legit, and I'm not saying it is, what happened is this: > > > > > > The malware changes the DNS cache settings on infected machines, > > > sending the user to rogue caches. The FBI captured some (or all) of > > > these rogue caches and (possibly) tried to fix them. A court has now > > > said those rogue caches must now be shut down. > > > > > > So if the morons reading the article do nothing, on March 8 the DNS > > > caches they use will be down. The user's DNS will not work. > > > > > > OMFG!!!!!!! Da intartubes is broken!!!!! > > > > > > <sigh> > > > > > > Instead, why not just set the DNS caches to something NOT owned by Ivan > > > The Russian Spammer? > > > > > > And no, the intartubes will NOT be switched off. > > > > I don't really think they can unless they just cut power to all the > > computers. After all, the internet is supposed to be redundant right? > > If there is a few computers still running that have a connection, it is > > still working. Sort of anyway. > > > > Does make one wonder tho. They have been talking about having a > > internet "off switch" but I'm not sure it would be that easy. > > basically, yes. Take down the core routers and backbones and everything falls > apart. > > -- > #163933 >
Indeed. In fact, easier than that. Just inject false BGP routes into one of the backbone level routers, and see how wide the Internet becomes 'impacted'. Do it to maybe 5 or 6 other routers that watch guard over the transatlantic and transpacific routes, and watch as the Internet fold upon itself. I was once a certified Network Engineer before I became a System Admin, so I know. The soft underbelly of the Intartubes is depressingly very vulnerable. Rgds,
