January 15 : ALF to Launch New Internet Offensive

FCUSA PRESS RELEASE, JANUARY 9, 1999
January 15 : ALF to Launch New Internet Offensive
By Simon Ward, Communications Director, FCUSA
The Animal Liberation Front’s “Internet Division” has vowed to carry out a “Day of Net Attacking against Vivisection”, as part of its “Operation Close Down”.
The establishment of ALF’s Internet Division was announced last September, with the declared aim of taking “offensive actions to damage animal abusers on the Internet in any way possible.” Since ALF sees all ownership and use of animals as “abuse”, it is effectively threatening everyone, from pet shops, researchers and zoos to leather shops, restaurants, ranchers, wildlife managers, and anyone living or operating in wildlife habitat.
“As a protest against vivisection and in memory of all the animals imprisoned, tortured and murdered in the labs,” ALF is calling on web users to harass research facilities on January 15, between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., GMT. Actions suggested by ALF include continuously reloading web sites, “bombing” sites with e-mail, and hacking into pages. Specifics are provided by ALF at http://www.animal-liberation.net/news/98/981231c1.html
Operation Close Down was launched by ALF’s Swedish branch, and three organizations in Sweden have been named for targeting on January 15. One is governmental and two belong to institutes conducting animal research. This list is not exclusive, however, and it should be assumed that local ALF cells will choose other targets closer to home and to their hearts, their favorite “enemies”. Additionally, the time frame for attacks may vary from the prescribed narrow band of three hours on January 15.
All potential targets, and in particular organizations involved in vivisection, should consider taking special precautions during the week of the 15th. Those precautions will reflect your own particular areas of vulnerability, but should at the very least include the general precautions listed at the end of this message.
To judge from ALF’s past actions, the threat to most organizations on the 15th will be in the form of e-mail/fax “bombing” attacks. These aim to disrupt your e-mail/fax functions by flooding your service provider and your fax machines, and can also make your e-mail service provider very unhappy. If you think you might be targeted (either on the 15th or in the future), raise your concern with your service provider now, not when the attack has already begun. Some providers, for example, will agree to accept and then delete all e-mails during a specified time period. (Asking your provider to refuse all e-mails during the period will not work as most e-mail programs will continue trying to send for days.) Should you go this route, you should also let your regular correspondents know so that they can send their e-mails at other times.
Unsophisticated – So Far
Despite ALF claims to the contrary, there is no evidence as yet that ALF’s Internet Division is capable of sophisticated sabotage on the web. Signing targets up for unwanted e-mail lists, sending phony e-mails and faxes, and e-mail/fax “bombing”, for example, can be done by anyone and, although bothersome, cause no lasting harm.
But sooner or later ALF’s level of sophistication will rise, and it is important to be prepared. In addition to applying the general precautions listed below, there are many websites which offer current security updates, including advice and free software. A good starting point for many of you will be the Microsoft Security Advisor.
General Precautions
(Note: These should be considered a minimum for security-conscious computer users.)
Backup religiously: If you have important data on your hard disk (and who hasn’t?), make sure to back it up regularly. Backup your website! External hard disks are now extremely affordable. Store your disk off-site.
Inoculate against viruses: Make sure you have the latest version of anti-virus software installed on your computer, and either set it to check for viruses automatically, or run it regularly. At the first sign of strange behavior by your computer, stop what you are doing. Back up all important files, and then isolate and fix the problem.
Cautious e-mailing: If you receive a suspicious looking e-mail (very long e-mails are particularly suspect), do not respond to it or use it in any way. Delete it from your e-mail inbox. If an e-mail does not look particularly suspicious but you do not know the sender, reply by noting down the address and contents, and then opening a new e-mail file. Do not simply hit “Reply” or paste the contents into your reply. Do not open attachments which arrive with e-mail from people you do not know. Responsible e-mailers will not object to a simple query, “I am sorry, I do not recognize your tagline. Who are you?”
Avoid bad company: Unless absolutely necessary, do not download files from web sites which endorse the activities of ALF/ELF and organizations that specialize in property damage. If you must download files, check them for viruses before using them.
Complain: If you experience an e-mail “bombing” campaign, contact your Internet access provider and inform them of the situation.
-
For further information contact Fur Commission USA.
Home
© 1998-2011 Fur Commission USA