#Ddos Attack

[icykalisartblog]

DDoS Attack Against AO3: Correcting Misinformation

Normally I don't make any posts like this, but I have an interest in cybersecurity and sadly I've seen people are being really ignorant about this recent DDoS attack against the site AO3 (Archive of Our Own), so I thought I'd remind people of a few things:

Anonymous Sudan appears to have no actual link to Sudan at all, or to any previous hacktivist groups that once operated there. This masquerade is probably based in anti-immigration and other racist sentiments, and utilizing those sentiments in other people to scare people and set up Muslims and Sudanese people as a target. This should be obvious from the language used in their note, but this was already known prior to this particular attack.

This so-called Anonymous Sudan has actually been very active recently—remember that they claimed to attack Reddit, Flickr, Riot Games, a huge number of Microsoft web portals like OneDrive and Outlook, etc. before AO3, so AO3 was totally a logical target for them since they've gone after smaller entities before. DDoS attacks like this are easy for any script kiddie to set up, so it's not weird that they'd go for a smaller target like this.

Honestly this group of posers probably just wants money, everybody. They sent AO3 a ransom note asking for Bitcoin (and just in case people don't know, do not pay a ransom if at all possible if this ever happens to you).

My advice to people who've noticed this attack is two-fold: calm down since this is part of a larger pattern that has literally resulted in basically no loss for the end-user of any of the sites, and... I don't really know a better way to put this, but don't believe everything you read. A religiously-motivated hate group wouldn't use terms like "LGBTQ+" and "smuts," and it's so blatantly obvious that the timing of every single one of these attacks is being used to smear Muslims and Sudanese people if you think about current events for like. One second. And if you look up Anonymous Sudan, you'll see their string of attacks and how all experts know that they have nothing to do with Sudan at all. Even AO3 itself told everybody that the group is lying about their motivations... though I think I'd go further than that personally because even their name itself is almost certainly a total sham.

To be clear: this post isn't targeted at anyone in particular. I've just seen a lot of people falling for this overall or not realizing this is part of a pattern, and I also wanted to remind everyone that this isn't anything to be concerned about. What is something to be concerned about is not doing research or thinking critically and then unwittingly spreading racist ideas.

#Ao3 #archive of our own #DDoS attack #cybersecurity #islamophobia

[watcher0033]

Y’all, the Archive admins are made up of VOLUNTEERS. And they have been working for 12-13 HOURS STRAIGHT.

I better not hear any complaints when donation period comes around. OR ELSE.

cosplay by @woahchriswoah on Twitter

EDIT: How do we show appreciation to the volunteers? For me reading these deep dives on OTW issues u guys apparently it's been said multiple times that one of their objective statements is to have paid staff for ao3 and there's a surplus of donations they haven't used up or the other community solutions that needs to address. For those more financially literate feel free to analyze, snipe me or add to the discussion etc. linked here by deepa. They’re cool and these yearly analysis they did aint no joke.

But Seriously what can we do for these volunteers? The probable burn out from this entire fiasco would be no joke. @ao3org

#can we give them hot cocoa or smth #sorry if the org is so pressed rn #but gotta psa some of these issues while the iron is hot #and post is gaining traction #DDoS is over for AO3 but now it’s targeting other NGOs related to OTW org it’s despicable #EDIT 2: AO3 is Back :3 #EDIT: WE ARE PAST 24 HRS BUCKLE UP FOR A LONG RIDE #no devil works harder than ao3 volunteers #archive of our own #ao3 #ao3 update #btw yall know I’m not forcing anyone to donate right? #i mostly made this to the regular karens who bash the archive anytime they ask for donation #ddos attack #hackers #fanfic #fanfiction #fandom #spn #supernatural #tags to better circulate this news #destiel #lol #hobie brown #spider punk #spiderverse #no hate

[thevoidisscreamingbackatyou]

y'know what, ao3 appreciation post cause these people out there doing amazing work for no monetary compensation

literally so many of us love ao3, please show support for these guys <3

#i'm sorry i'm tired i wish i could say more #ao3 #ao3 down #writing #fanon #fanfiction #fanfic #ddos attack

[lildoodlenoodle]

We all know about the DDOS attacks on AO3 as it is still down. So it is very important we talk about the KOSA(Kids Online Safety Act) that is going to hit the floor soon. Because if that act goes through this could very much be the new reality of not only AO3 but online fandom spaces within the next year. The point of this act is to limit queer media and to eliminate online queer spaces.

Let me stress, the politicians are lying to you. Democrats and Republicans are lobbying for this. It is not pro trans rights and it is not pro lgbtq rights. This is very reminiscent of the Restrict Act! Politicians can SUE websites for having QEEER CONTENT. This act will not protect kids, it will further separate and marginalize the queer community!

If this bill goes through AO3, Wattpad, TikTok, Tumblr, and Twitter will be limited and fanfiction websites could be wiped out all together. If you are apart of fandom spaces pay attention and ACT! Call and email your senators! AND SIGN THE BELOW PETITIONS!

Reblog this! Send the links to people who aren’t on Tumblr! If you care about fandom, fandom spaces, your ships, your blorbos, fanfiction writers’ works, freedom to create, etc. Spread this!

If you aren’t American you can still sign/send some of these!

#AO3 #ao3 update #DDOS attack #ok that was all the fandom tags I could fit #marvel #dc #ATSV #ITSV #across the spiderverse #Merlin #supernatural #doctor who #voltron #Disney #Star Wars #she ra netflix #comics #destiel #klance #COD #clone wars #call of duty #Star Trek #naruto #twilight #glee #teen wolf #hunger games #vampire diaries #anime

[skeletal-sam]

YOU GUYS!!!!

The reason why KOSA was declined LAST TIME was because people called continuously to senators and told them NOT TO ACCEPT THE BILL!!!! KEEP ON CALLING!!! KEEP ON SIGNING PETITIONS AGAINST KOSA!!! THESE INTERNET BILLS ARE NOT AT ALL GOOD!!!!! The government should NOT be keeping you all on parental controls on the INTERNET!!! KEEP ON CALLING!!! THIS IS LITERALLY ONE OF THE WAYS!!!!

#stop kosa #kosa #ddos attack #boost #please boost #i am serious #we cannot let kosa bills pass

[sop-soap]

As you guys have probably already seen, ao3 is down because of a DDOS attack, which means an organized group of people are flooding ao3 servers with requests as a form of protest. They’re doing this specifically to target the queer and nsfw content found on fanfiction sites, and singled out ao3 because it is a non-profit with no corporate backing to protect it. Their ‘reasoning’, if you can even call it that, is here.

PLEASE, do not refresh your Ao3 pages. Close all your ao3 tabs and do not log in or try and load any fanfics until this is sorted out. We want to make this as easy for ao3 to resolve as possible. SPREAD THE NEWS and show support for the volunteer staff of ao3 that are currently working to try and fix this.

The ao3 staff has made it very clear that none of your data is in danger from this attack, and that all they request is for your cooperation and support in the process of resolving this.

#ao3 #ao3 attack #ddos attack #ddos protection #fanfiction #queer #lgtbtq #news #reblog or make your own post to spread the word!!

[es-peon]

man…

#ao3 #ddos attack #ao3 is down #ao3 is up again #ao3 is the rope in a tug o war game #psa

[kiraxcute]

I feel like way too many people forget AO3 is mostly non profit aside from the occasional donation!! So yeah, all the volunteers working to get the site back deserve a fucking award!!!

#ao3 #ao3 down #archive of our own #ddos attack #fuck em

[connanro]

so apparently anonymous sudan (a "hacktivist" group that likely is actually russian) is behind the ddos attack that has taken ao3 down

#ao3 #ao3 down #ddos attack #🥲🥲🥲

[cacodaemonia]

Heads up y'all

#ao3 #ddos attack #scammers #twitter

[midnights-dragon]

i say we as a community kidnap the ddos attackers and force them to read jesus x judas yaoi until they die

#ao3 #ao3 down #ddos attack #ao3 update #ao3 meme #fanfiction meme #shitpost #shitposting

[foolishmortal]

"the site is full of disgusting smuts"

#fandom #fanfiction #ao3 #ddos attack #archive of our own #give them hell otw! #organization of transformative works #ao3 ddos

[enigma2meagain]

As you may have noticed already, Archive of Our Own is currently down, due to a DDOS attack by a group claiming to be “Anonymous Sudan”, which may or may not be a group affiliated with Russia using Anonymous to drive divides against Islamic People, and also target one of the largest sources of LGBT media online.

Something important to also note is that there are actually bills being passed through Congress (or at least on track) that are functionally identical in intention and rhetoric to this hacking attack called the Kids Online Safety Act. if it passes, it’ll censor/cripple the entire internet as we know it for the same political and religious motivations. AO3 will be negatively affected as well, either losing most of its LGBT content at best, or at worst being permanently shut down.

The big one at the moment is the Kids Online Safety Act, but there are also other bills like the EARN IT Act, the RESTRICT Act, and so forth. There’s more information provided in the Links below!

Bad Internet Bills (Website Created by Fight For the Future on Twitter) LinkTree for KOSA (made by volunteers, contains open letter for signing and more articles about the bill in question)

Please take the time to read up and call your Senators to stop this. If you can't do that, then email them and contact the people on this master list here. Especially call Maria Cantwell, since she’s hesitant about this bill!

Additionally, if you happen to have TikTok or some other social media presence, please help spread the word. These people linked below have done so and the more people talking about this, the better!

JuiceInABoxx OmarsBigSister

#ao3 #archive of our own #ao3 fanfic #ao3 ddos #lgbtq+ #tw ddos attack #ddos attack #kids online safety act #lgbtq+ rights #lgbt #censorship #internet censorship #fanfiction

[getosbf]

Why the fuck would you log into gaysex.com and then attack their website for having gay sex are you fucking stupid

#ao3 #ao3 attack #ao3 down #ddos attack #archive of our own

[wanukilppari]

Okay, I have seen a picture of ransom demand to stop DDoS attack on AO3, so couple friendly reminders to people before you do anything stupid.

It's very unlikely that the person(s) giving the demand is the one doing the attack. It's more likely that they are an opportunist trying to earn money from this chaos.

There is no guarantee that the attack will end even if they get the money they are asking for.

Stop posting the info of their account. Someone will fall to this scam. In fact that is what they are hoping for. Why else would they address the fans first and then the admins?

Only trust the info given by the official AO3 spoke persons/accounts. People behind the attack and the oppurtunists are trying to create panic to make it easier for people to fall scams like this.

Stop trying to check AO3 website until the admin team gives us green light. It's normal in this kind of situations for the website to come back for short while and then go down again.

No. Ao3 isn't being hacked. Your data (and dirty fanfic secrets) should be safe. They are just using the bots to overwhelm the website. Think it as online store crashing the second they start selling tickets for big name artist's concert.

Be patient, be kind and don't feed the trolls.

#Ao3 #Scam #ddos attack #Stay patient

[strayleafs]

friendly reminder to be patient while the unpaid volunteers work to get the website we're all mentally dependent on back up!!

#ao3 #ao3 is down #archive of our own #ddos attack