ALF Vows Cyberspace “Offensive”

FUR COMMISSION USA PRESS RELEASE
ALF Vows Cyberspace “Offensive”
By Simon Ward, Communications Director, and Teresa Platt, Executive Director, FCUSA
OCTOBER 28, 1998: The Animal Liberation Front has warned Internet users of a special division that will take “offensive actions to damage animal abusers [eco-babble for animal caretakers] on the Internet in any way possible.”
On September 16, ALF posted a message to animal rights newsgroups announcing the formation of its “Internet Division”. Attacks planned by the division, which it says has been active for a year, “may include Denial of Service attacks, Virii [sic] attacks, e-mail bombing, hacking web servers.”
“We have already cracked numerous computer systems,” continues the announcement, “and borrowed useful data, in the future we will also destroy data. All animal abusers and animal abusing establishments on the Internet are valid targets.”
Since tens of millions of people interact directly with animals and ALF sees all ownership and use of animals as “abuse”, ALF is threatening virtually everyone – from pet shops, researchers and zoos to leather shops, ranchers and wildlife managers.
ALF’s Internet Division claims to have already carried out “many actions against animal abusers,” although to date, FCUSA has not heard of anything sophisticated. According to ALF itself, an e-mail “bombing” attack was launched against a Swedish research institute that uses animals, with the aim of disrupting its e-mail function. Anyone with e-mail, however, can launch such an attack, and they cause no lasting harm. It’s like sending a fax to the same line over and over or calling a telephone. Harassing and annoying but not crippling.
And then there was the e-mail “press release” out of San Francisco which warned of demonstrations by the “Animal Liberation Army” against Neiman Marcus executives at their homes. The e-mail was sent under the name “Teresa Platt”, and came from “alavegan@hotmail.com.” So far there have been no demos and no one fell for the press release since Teresa Platt, as executive director of FCUSA, is obviously not a vegan! The San Francisco office of the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade uses a Hotmail account for their e-mail, so maybe it was just the CAFT bunch.
Even if ALF’s “Internet Division” has the computing ability to terrorize the Internet, their supporters are having techie problems. In a recent announcement we are told that: “Due to a broken computer monitor, the North American A.L.F. Press Office will be extremly [sic] limited in it’s [sic] computer and internet access for several weeks. Please expect delays in responding to e-mail, etc.”
If you wish to donate a monitor (or spell checker for that matter!) to the cash-strapped ALF press office, they can be reached at naalfpo@waste.org – an appropriate address for people that produce nothing while “wasting” the productive efforts of others.
-Seriously Though, Folks
Joking aside, in the fast-changing world of cyberspace communications, it is wise for all of us to practice safe computing. Over the coming weeks, FCUSA will be compiling a new section on our web site summarizing all the latest and best tips for improving computer security. In the meantime, make sure to take at least the following simple precautions:
Backup religiously: If you have important data on your hard disk (and who hasn’t?), make sure to back it up regularly. 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.
Avoid bad company: Do not download material from web sites which endorse the activities of ALF.
Complain: If you experience an e-mail “bombing” campaign (i.e., your Internet access provider is flooded with e-mail for you, disrupting service), contact your provider and inform them of the situation.
If you have any other hot tips, don’t keep them to yourself! Send them to furfarmers@aol.com and we will pass them around.
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For further information contact Fur Commission USA.
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