It's full-out cyberwar in Iran. And thanks to Facebook, people all over the world are participating.
The Facebook group "Help Iran to attack on Ahmadinejad's websites, we want our votes back" was created yesterday by Iran-based activists with the stated goal of "bringing down" the "Top 10" sites benefitting President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, according to the group's creator.
Hours later, someone had created a script that allows anyone to open a window on his or her web browser, which will then automatically load 12 pro-Ahmadinejad websites and will refresh them all within seconds. (All within the page -- they are careful to point out that "it won't stop you from browsing!")
If enough people do it, the cyberwar strategy goes, then the server will overload and the page rendered inaccessible. This is also known as a "denial of service" attack.
Four hundred people joined the group in little over a day. Of course, the pro-reformist websites are targeted in the same way by both pro-Ahmadinejad activists and the government. When websites are hacked and shut down, activists are sending messages through Twitter.
-- RFE/RL Web Team
The Facebook group "Help Iran to attack on Ahmadinejad's websites, we want our votes back" was created yesterday by Iran-based activists with the stated goal of "bringing down" the "Top 10" sites benefitting President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, according to the group's creator.
Hours later, someone had created a script that allows anyone to open a window on his or her web browser, which will then automatically load 12 pro-Ahmadinejad websites and will refresh them all within seconds. (All within the page -- they are careful to point out that "it won't stop you from browsing!")
If enough people do it, the cyberwar strategy goes, then the server will overload and the page rendered inaccessible. This is also known as a "denial of service" attack.
Four hundred people joined the group in little over a day. Of course, the pro-reformist websites are targeted in the same way by both pro-Ahmadinejad activists and the government. When websites are hacked and shut down, activists are sending messages through Twitter.
-- RFE/RL Web Team