Mastercard downed by Anon-Assange-fans
Website gone for a burton, payment systems too?
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Mastercard is feeling the wrath of the internet this afternoon - its website and at least part of its payment systems have apparently been brought down by a denial of service attack.
The credit card company is being typically cryptic - its most recent statement said only that it is "is experiencing heavy traffic on its external corporate website", which is a nicely understated way to describe an overwhelming DDoS assault.
The statement added: "We are working to restore normal speed of service. There is no impact whatsoever on our cardholders' ability to use their cards for secure transactions."
However the Reg has been contacted by merchants down under who are currently unable to access the payment portal on Mastercard's private network - a far more serious breach of security than just downing a website.
This blog also suggests that Mastercard's 3D Secure system is not working either.
The hack attack is being claimed by Operation Payback, as revenge for Mastercard's decision to shut down payments to Wikileaks in the wake of its publishing US diplomatic cables.
Operation Payback has itself come under DDoS attack from 'patriot' hackers. Presumably pro-Assange hackers have taken out Senator Lieberman's personal site.
PayPal was targeted for similar reasons, but was functioning at the time of writing.
Mastercard's PRs were unable to confirm any attack on payments systems but have promised us a more up-to-date statement. We'll update this story should we receive one. ®
COMMENTS
In related news...
...you can still use Mastercard to donate to the Ku Klux Klan and the British National Party. (But please don't).
Its is attacking the payment systems
This is going to cost Mastercard hard cash.
It may well cost Visa and Master card a lot more. They have exploited their duopoly for US political interests, demonstrating that they are under the control of the US government. Wikileaks, for all its dubious nature, is not illegal and its processing company has already complained about this. Never mind a independent GPS system, Europe needs a credit card payment system outside the control of the US government (China, I notice , already does - UnionPay).
I doubt it
they aren't hackers. they just download a tool like Low orbit ion canon. and point it at the website.
but there are in the order of 1000 people taking part in the attack. i find it hard to believe that that many people are going to pokey.
personally i think it serves mastercard right. freedom has a price. who are they to tell me to whom i can donate my money????????
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