Hacker attacks Meetup.com and holds it for ransom for $300
The popular social networking site Meetup.com is under attack from hackers. The site has been hit by a sophisticated denial of service attack
PC World reported today.Meetup.com is used by millions of people worldwide to organize get-togethers and meetings for various hobbies and interests. The New York-based website has been under attack by hackers since last week. According to Meetup staff, a hacker sent them an email requesting $300 to stop the attacks.
“Meetup is currently under DDoS attack. Our services may be up/down intermittently as we seek to restore full functionality.” Meetup staff said via Twitter.
Meetup has been down for days since February 28 and organizers and members have no way to communicate with one another. The staff has been working around the clock to thwart off the hackers and restore the site.
“We hate to say it, but Meetup is down again as of 8:09 pm EST. We continue to be hit by a distributed denial of service attack. Organizer and member data is secure, including credit card information. No data has been accessed or stolen,” Meetup’s Co-Founder and CEO Scott Heiferman said today on the site’s blog.
According to Heiferman, he received an email last Thursday at 10:26 am from a hacker requesting money. Simultaneously the attack began and the site’s servers were overwhelmed with internet traffic. As a result the servers went down.
“A competitor asked me to perform a DDoS attack on your website. I can stop the attack for $300 USD. Let me know if you are interested in my offer,” the hacker said in the email.
Heiferman says that Meetup will not back down and pay the demands regardless of how little the cost is. He insists that the site will be back up soon and fully functional.
“The natural question I know many of you will ask is why didn’t we pay, especially since the amount of money demanded was ridiculously small ($300 USD).We made a decision not to negotiate with criminals. The extortion dollar amount suggests this to be the work of amateurs, but the attack is sophisticated. We believe this lowball amount is a trick to see if we are the kind of target who would pay. We believe if we pay, the criminals would simply demand much more.Payment could make us (and all well-meaning organizations like us) a target for further extortion demands as word spread in the criminal world. We were confident we can protect Meetup from this aggressive attack, even if it will take time. Please know that while we will not pay the criminals, you can count on Meetup to be stable and reliable soon. We’ll continue to work diligently to restore the site and the apps, to bring back all features, and to minimize the effects of the service outages,” Heiferman said in a public response to the hackers.
To receive email alerts when a new article is posted from this author, click the SUBSCRIBE button.
If you enjoyed this article, click the subscribe button above to receive email updates when a new article is published. Join John on Facebook, follow on Twitter, or connect on Google+. For more information on the author, visit his website.
Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.
"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.
Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world. Anyone can join. Anyone can contribute. Anyone can become informed about their world. "United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.
LION'S MANE PRODUCT
Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules
Mushrooms are having a moment. One fabulous fungus in particular, lion’s mane, may help improve memory, depression and anxiety symptoms. They are also an excellent source of nutrients that show promise as a therapy for dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. If you’re living with anxiety or depression, you may be curious about all the therapy options out there — including the natural ones.Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend has been formulated to utilize the potency of Lion’s mane but also include the benefits of four other Highly Beneficial Mushrooms. Synergistically, they work together to Build your health through improving cognitive function and immunity regardless of your age. Our Nootropic not only improves your Cognitive Function and Activates your Immune System, but it benefits growth of Essential Gut Flora, further enhancing your Vitality.
Our Formula includes: Lion’s Mane Mushrooms which Increase Brain Power through nerve growth, lessen anxiety, reduce depression, and improve concentration. Its an excellent adaptogen, promotes sleep and improves immunity. Shiitake Mushrooms which Fight cancer cells and infectious disease, boost the immune system, promotes brain function, and serves as a source of B vitamins. Maitake Mushrooms which regulate blood sugar levels of diabetics, reduce hypertension and boosts the immune system. Reishi Mushrooms which Fight inflammation, liver disease, fatigue, tumor growth and cancer. They Improve skin disorders and soothes digestive problems, stomach ulcers and leaky gut syndrome. Chaga Mushrooms which have anti-aging effects, boost immune function, improve stamina and athletic performance, even act as a natural aphrodisiac, fighting diabetes and improving liver function. Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules Today. Be 100% Satisfied or Receive a Full Money Back Guarantee. Order Yours Today by Following This Link.