WikiLeaks supporters take MasterCard offline

December 8, 2010 By Geoff Duncan

MasterCard's Web site has been knocked offline by a denial of service attack, allegedly launched by supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The cyber-battle over WikiLeaks—and its now-jailed founder Julian Assange—continues to spread. The primary Web site for credit card company MasterCard has been taken offline by an apparent denial of service attack—the site has been offline for several hours and remains inaccessible as of this writing. Various groups supporting WikiLeaks—including 4chan’s “Anonymous” and Operation: PayBack—have claimed credit for the attack on Twitter and other channels, saying the action is in retaliation for MasterCard blocking WikiLeaks from its payment network.

Groups of attackers—likely including many of the same people—also took a Swiss postal service bank PostFinance offline earlier this week, after the bank announced it had cut off Assange’s accounts, claiming he had “provided false information recarding his place of residence.” WikiLeaks supporters have also targeted online payment service PayPal, although PayPal has so far remained accessible.

WikiLeaks founder is currently in jail in London, fighting a Swedish extradition order. Swedish authorities have charged Assange with rape and other sex crimes based on complaints filed by two women. Assange has denied the charges.

The WikiLeaks Web site has caused significant diplomatic concerns for releasing various classified materials and diplomatic cables related to the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as confidential internal communications concerning the United States’ relationship with key allies. The communications have revealed U.S. doubts about the reliability of allies like Pakistan and conveyed unflattering portrayals of various world leaders. The cables have also revealed a U.S. wish for Saudi Arabia to conduct a military strike against Iran, and raised questions about the Chinese government’s role in this year’s cyberattack on Google.

Reports have U.S. authorities considering whether espionage and other charges can be brought against Assange for releasing material in classified documents.

Showing 14 comments

Lewis Poretz at 8:44am 9th December 2010 Could Cyber Anarchists living in the clouds have Earthly Ramifications? - nice read ->> http://bit.ly/dNEF33 Dr. Eric Cole - Dr. Cole is a global industry expert with breadth and depth experience across integrated cyber security. #wikileaks #cyber #security HIGH QUALITY ADVICE
1. Realist at 11:53am 9th December 2010 Sure they still will never get laid unless a blowup doll qualifies but the doll would deflate in laughter at their lack of manhood. Without true tact the virgins anonymous will just buzz your ear like a housefly.
guest at 6:07am 9th December 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adyZlXM22UM
yopman at 1:25am 9th December 2010 "Rape" is a bit non-precises, isn't it ? From my understanding, the two ladies have charged him of two allegation : 1 having sex without condom with each of them (bad but they are adults, aren't they ?) and for one of them having sex another time while she was asleep . But both of them apparently have agreed to say they agreed in first place to have sex with the guy. If this is the real story, in most country those statement will be hardly qualified of "rape". Maybe the second alegation/charge could be tried, but it will be tough times to prove she was asleep or that she did not wanted to have sex another time. Anyway the the sweedish law looks quite broad on the "rape" definition. Can anybody in sweeden confirm this is realy what the girls have declared to the police officers ? If this is true, then simply puting "rape" is not precise.
SomeRandomReader at 11:12pm 8th December 2010 Anonymous are NOT supporting Assange, they are supporting freedom of information and press; it so happens that by doing this they are also supporting Assange, but it's a side consequence, not their main intention. Get your facts straight.
1. Sum1smarterthanU at 12:13pm 9th December 2010 You're right “Operation Avenge Assange,” that is a coincidence that they are on the same track. Guess it's like Lucas films idea of kids naming things the same as real people with a similar cause. Learn the facts Learn the facts Learn the facts. Stop acting like the ones you wish to expose all of you. Each of you has a different answer, I bet if I told you the sky was blue, you'd tell me it's red, and vice versa. Thats like a junkie saying I only get high when I get the urge.
Realist at 1:56pm 8th December 2010 @Cock Chain. Did I use too big of words for you to understand. I know thinking is confusing huh. Do you even know what you are fighting for?? Or are you that tarded? @ Ore Massa, what madness, it is a bunch of puter nerds who have never seen coochie getting mad and shutting dow the corporate page of mastercard. Ya'll coundnt even tap into their operations so you attacked their homepage. That's like pissing on the puter screen, What did you accomplish?? besides proving your idiocracy??
ore masta at 12:02pm 8th December 2010 we will stop when Assange is released... until then we will continue this madness... @Realist... what part of redneck texas you from boy?
dick cheney at 11:13am 8th December 2010 @ realist... blah blah blah
Realist at 10:42am 8th December 2010 Hate to say it, do you think the thugs and hillbillies will have a use for hackers if there is anarchy? They will F u up and jack your ass blind. Just think as the sun comes up on the first day of the "new" world and 3 dudes are in your house raping your mom or daughter with a gun to your head because they wanted to and no one is there to stop them. Who will you cry to. Who will your family cry to? Can't cry to you, your actions will lead us there. You aren't trained to defend yourself unless Mcafee is your best defense then you're really SOL. Like a puter nerd is capable of fending for himself what a joke
Realist at 10:42am 8th December 2010 Hey Dick Dick... Ycome r you retarded? I'm being serial super serial. Ycome? You act like hackers can actually do something about the problem. Like shutting down MC and Paypal will prevent the next big business from sprouting. Logic Fail! It's like the drug game. No matter how many are stopped, there will still be next in line. Genocide is the closest solution to your imaginary problem. So what the government killed some camel jockeys and wasn't fully honest. If I was a leader I would do the same. I won't be excommunicated because the sheep of society are too dumb(i.e. you and the rest of Wiki brain leak) to know what it all boils down to. The apathetic public makes them the american public. You can lead a horse to water but it's his choice to drink. Ya'll choose a method with anarchy as a future.
1. Anonymous at 2:25pm 8th December 2010 Are you retarded? Do you realize that this has nothing to do with other companies rising up? It's about the censorship of information you Serb. Gtfo. Don't even reply. You don't deserve to have a computer. Moron.
  1. Realist at 12:09pm 9th December 2010 If it was about censorship than one of you pussies would have taken the reigns and kept spreading the cables but it's not? This is only about vengance and pathetic attempts to slap the wrist of your opposition. Prove me wrong Tampex.....
Richard Richards at 9:42am 8th December 2010 Login and close your paypal account, easy and legal.... spread the word.......... plenty of other ways to make payments.... its a small inconvenience to support something much larger than your shopping basket....... tell everyone you know