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Atomic MPC > News > Build > Security > 'Operation: Titstorm' takes Australian government websites down

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'Operation: Titstorm' takes Australian government websites down

DDOS attack by Anonymous hits the Government. Update: Australian Sex Party denies involvement in attack.

The Australian Government's websites have had a rocky history, and similar to their attack in March of last year, they've been hit again - but this time, the scale is massive.

Manifested by the infamous internet group Anonymous, their 'Operation: Titstorm' funneled anger over the internet filtering and other actions taken by the government, such as the Clean Feed.

Anonymous began their attack by blasting the government's main website and the parliament site (currently down as of 11:30AM) with requests, reaching up to 7.5 million hits per second at peak, and bringing the servers down for over an hour with sporadic access for some time afterwards.

Their attack hit the real world too, with politicians receiving emails, calls and faxes that included porn in many different flavours, disrupting and affecting many people.

While their attack definitely grabbed some attention for Anonymous, it ultimately does nothing for the actual fight to concrete our freedom of choice on the internet - instead generating only a few lulz.

Check out the flyer for Operation Titstorm here:

Update @ 12PM: The Australian Sex Party have denied their cooperation or involvement with Operation: Titstorm in a press release:

The Australian Sex Party has denied any involvement in the recent cyber attacks on Parliament House and other government department web sites . The campaign, dubbed ‘Operation Titstorm' by its creators, appeared to spring from a Sex Party media release last week that reported the banning of women with small breasts from adult magazines by Australian censorship authorities.

Party President Fiona Patten said that bringing logical perspectives to the area of internet censorship was not always easy but the Sex Party used political lobbying and rational arguments to win its wars. "Senator Conroy however uses unfair tactics by continuing to ban the Australian Sex Party website from within his own department" she said. "Despite letters of protest about the unconstitutional nature of such bans he refuses to budge. These bans have now spread to state government departments with the Victorian Dept of Infrastructure the latest government agency to ban access to the sex party's site".

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38 Comments

orcone Feb 11, 2010 11:46 AM	Seriously, whoever thought it was a good idea to mess with their porn is a moran.
Count Feb 11, 2010 12:04 PM	No... that's not it. They just guarenteed that Labor is now going to do everything possible to get this filter in. I wanna find the fuckwits who descided to plan this thing and beat their heads in. This was THE WORST THING TO DO. Not only are labor going to do this simply out of spite, but they now have ammunition to back up their claims that the filter will protect the country from the net, and what kind of depravities are available there. For months, people have been arguing about the performance hits, the loss of legitimate information, businesses being driven back overseas and the ramped up costs of internet usage, now in 1 F**KING STUPID MOVE, these Anonymous morons have gone and shifted Labor's counter campaigns to "Protecting Australia from the Hackers, look at the kind of disgusting material available!" The average religious nut and PC user who has no idea what the net's really about beyond eBay and facebook, will agree, the filter will be passed by popular vote and we're royally and truely FRAKKED. Thanks Anonymous.
Mademan Feb 11, 2010 12:24 PM	@ count: Agreed.
orcone Feb 11, 2010 12:29 PM	You don't think that's their motivation? They're trolling the shit out of a lot of people, and most of those participating in the DDoS are from OUTSIDE of Australia. They're protecting themselves from us and our deadly fauna.
majestic975 Feb 11, 2010 12:38 PM	Yes the internet filter will certainly stop DDoS attacks,porn and other porn related material, just ask any mum and dad voter out there. Thats why they will be voting a proud YES on it.
.:Cyb3rGlitch:. Feb 11, 2010 1:34 PM	Fuck you anonymous. Bloody moron.
Mudg3 Feb 11, 2010 2:04 PM	It sad when skiddies go to play. Come on we all knew that this would happen unfortunately its just children venting there frustration becuase they don't have a voice. Its not like the government listens to any of us.
Count Feb 11, 2010 2:59 PM	anyone else feel like going to that irc room and tearing them a new one? Of course, use something like mibbit, cause those skiddies are stupid BUT dangerous...
Mudg3 Feb 11, 2010 3:01 PM	Lol I've been in there all day. Its full on funny's Like I said in another thread they are like chickens with no heads.
majestic975 Feb 11, 2010 3:14 PM	Its not helping the cause, but the message will get out to the general public a bit more I hope. Thats if the media will actually bother with the story.
Mudg3 Feb 11, 2010 3:17 PM	They will and they will paint them in a bad way.
HeavyLancer Feb 11, 2010 3:27 PM	aph.gov.au is still down as of 3:30 . At least they've brought attention to the matter. There will definitely be more attacks and protests, just of a different nature to this.
clockworkman Feb 11, 2010 3:36 PM	haha this sucks, what a bunch of spanners, you attack conservatives, they only turn up their noses at you, turn around and say "look at the hooligans everyone, i say!". Now the ~80% of public supporting the filter will be even more adamant it's a good thing.... despite not knowing the fantastic(ly bad) technical and monetary implications
Krispy89 Feb 11, 2010 3:55 PM	Any hope of blocking this filter has now been obliterated. Thankyou anonymous for deciding the future of the Internet in Australia. Well fucking done!
Mudg3 Feb 11, 2010 3:59 PM	its not obliterated.
swalden Feb 11, 2010 6:05 PM	Least it proves they have no clue what there doing, can't even protect there own website
Bundywow Feb 11, 2010 7:53 PM	Does anyone really think the gov. will go ahead with something out of spite? It may not be constructive but I doubt it hurts. If anything the gov will go ahead because of the amount of money it has invested into this, if they back out in what could be an election year the libs will have a field day about waisted tax payer money.
Mudg3 Feb 11, 2010 8:34 PM	I think their all fucked. I'm not voting for religious bigots liberal or labour. Wtf is my ABN?
MagnumXY Feb 11, 2010 11:41 PM	Stop whining about something that hasn't happened yet people, like talking would've stopped it... What really needs to be done are some good old fashioned street protests to get Conroy sacked.
majestic975 Feb 12, 2010 9:05 AM	I think the money could have been better spent, like fixing the Pacific Highway, where people are actually diying on a almost regular basis, instead of having a net nanny in place. Whatever happened to parents being responsible for their kids? These days everyone just blames the government, so no wonder they're doing this. Its almost like: we give you $4000 for your kid now, we owe your ass after that !!
cyb3rspy Feb 12, 2010 10:58 AM	OK are YOU guys that say this will enforce the fact we need a filter in place TOTAL F#$%#$%in MORONS ??? I'm sorry but really... think about it for a second..no please use your pathetic brain (if you have one) and think. If the filter was in place do you really think that would or even could stop the same type of attack? Oh that's right the filter will protect us...yeah only IF THE GOV WEB SITE WAS IN THE FILTERED LIST... my god you guys are dumb. As for the topic on hand.... If the filter does end up in I'll like to thank all the W#$#$kers for allowing OUR freedoms to go into the hands of the Gov. AND TO THINK PPL DIED FOR US TO HAVE THAT.
Count Feb 12, 2010 11:38 AM	Wow... someone didnt read anyone elses posts. Just saw "filter" "need" and "hacking" and threw up into a hissy fit. And of course the sex party is censored in government offices, anything relating to that kind of nature is banned by most IT company policies. It's not the governments fault that the sex party falls under that definition. Even though it's a political party they still are covered under the same guidelines as anyone else.
cyb3rspy Feb 12, 2010 1:33 PM	WoW someone didn't get the message, And if you say it's a hissy fit well, yeah it is but again, read it again... "As for the topic on hand.... If the filter does end up in I'll like to thank all the W#$#$kers for allowing OUR freedoms to go into the hands of the Gov. AND TO THINK PPL DIED FOR US TO HAVE THAT." Yes you must be one of the brainless morons too if you don't get the message. But to your point of "someone didnt read anyone elses posts. Just saw "filter" "need" and "hacking" and threw up into a hissy fit." I've been reading AND FOLLOWING this topic/debt on many sites to help spread the impact that this law (if) introduced can and in future will do do to OUR freedom. But hey if you don't like your freedom PISS OFF out of Australia..maybe try China. I'm sure you'll like their RA policy.
Déta88 Feb 12, 2010 1:46 PM	Where's Jerry Springer when u need him, im really loving this war. BATTLE ON!
Bundywow Feb 12, 2010 2:53 PM	cyb3rspy IDK if you actually know what your talking about your rant seems to be running at a incoherent tangent to the topic or anyone's reply as far as I can tell. People died for internet censorship, or lack there of?
Count Feb 12, 2010 3:27 PM	reading the second command by cyberspy, I'm guessing he's 13 or so, most likely one of the hackers who doomed us to this stupid net filter from the sounds of it. atomic's returning as one of the google search results on this subject for some reason shrugs oh well.
Guy Smiley Feb 12, 2010 4:25 PM	@cyb3rspy: I actually agree, why do people think that the filter would have, or will stop further DDoS attacks from happening? It won't. The Government need to realise that this is a bad idea. But if the filter is put into place, you can rest assured that it will eventually become something like China @Bundywow: When cyb3rspy said "...PPL DIED..." I think it was implied that the freedoms that we have today, is what people dies for. @Count: I don't think the DDoS will have done anything to persuade dissuade the Government for doing something they already planning to do, or not do. If the filter is put in, it has the potential to be very bad, but no-one really know the exact extent of how the filter will actually filter. I think this needs a good healthy debate, with proper arguments, not just the rants from unhappy fanatics about democracy and freedoms, nor from the self-righteous about protecting children. It's like the old adage "Who polices the policemen?" With a filter in place what is to stop a Government, or Government agency charged with the task of monitoring the filter, from turning it into someting grotesque?
cyb3rspy Feb 12, 2010 4:33 PM	Ok 1st off to Bundywow... in where did I type "People died for internet censorship" Re-read then respond. Try the point of OUR freedom. 2nd.. to Count,13...yeah that would be your mentality to pigeon hole ppl to the 13 of age (maybe as you said a google or even Atomic search you might realize an age above 13), you must feel big on that one. And since you can't seem to say anything about the point I was making in the first place about OUR freedom if this law comes in to act, one can only assume that you did what a defenseless person would do and that attack off points of a convo. And finally to Déta88 I agree "Where's Jerry Springer when u need him"... lol good call.
cyb3rspy Feb 12, 2010 4:37 PM	Oh and to Guy Smiley (just saw your post).. Your dead on the money there, it's exactly what I'm referring to and I feel is extremely relevant to topic. :-)
Déta88 Feb 12, 2010 4:45 PM	i mostly just agree with anything cyb3rspy says even when he says Aion sux, which i love playing :D
Electr0 Feb 12, 2010 10:45 PM	>.> <.< FLAAAAAAAMMMMMWEEEE WAAAAARRRRGGGGGGHH!!!1!!1!!!11!
smakme7757 Feb 13, 2010 1:06 AM	I say fuck the goverment, they are elected by us to implement things we want. Australia as a whole have said "We don't fucking want an internet filter" and the gaverment said "Fuck you". So i say fuck'em and give em all you've got!
.:Cyb3rGlitch:. Feb 13, 2010 1:17 AM	"Australia as a whole have said 'We don't fucking want an internet filter'" Got a source for that smakme7757?
smakme7757 Feb 13, 2010 2:06 AM	Take 2 pieces of A4 paper, one for "For" and one for "Against". Which A4 piece of paper would fill up first? Personally i feel that an internet sensor is a good idea provided it prohibits only websites which are forbidden by Australian law. From what i've read it seems that this filter digs a bit deeper than it should. On the flip side i don't even live in Australia any more, so why would i care?, because i have always been proud to talk about Australia and it's achievements. Unfortunatly i 'Personally' think a filtering system is a backwards step. Take it however you want. It doesn't have my vote.
Count Feb 13, 2010 11:10 AM	Guy Smiley: I didn't say that the hacking would give the Labor party motivation to add the filter, they've always been dead set on it regardless. I said that the hacking will give the government ammunition for the technologically-incompetant. Cyberspy: If you're not 13 then stop acting like one.
sirtrancealot Feb 15, 2010 3:11 PM	they really should have just waited until the filter came on line, then attacked that imo.. would have proven more of a point.. but yeah i do agree that if they can't secure their own servers, how are they supposed to secure "the internet" from potential nasty's.. just sounds like a massive waste of cash to me.. and yeah I don't even want it.. how about the people who do want it foot the bill... it's a sad step for Australia.. but hey not like we haven't had one of those before..
sirtrancealot Feb 15, 2010 3:15 PM	You look so tired-unhappy, bring down the government, they don't, they don't speak for us.
Awatif Jun 4, 2010 4:50 PM	I thank the people have been arguing about the performance hits, the loss of legitimate information, businesses being driven back overseas and the ramped up costs of internet Anonymous morons have gone and shifted Labour’s counter campaigns to "Protecting Australia from the Hackers, look at the kind of disgusting material available and I thank the average user who has no idea what the net's really about beyond eBay and face book moreover the filter will be passed by popular vote I thank it is not only the labour going to do this simply out of spite, but they now have ammunition to back up their claims that the filter will protect the country from the net, and what kind of depravities are available there.

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