Internet to be destroyed by terrorists, film at 11

August 25, 2004 1:21 PM

Some media are reporting the prediction by computer experts at Moscow's Kaspersky Labs that parts of the Internet will be shut-down tomorrow by cyber-terrorists. The Internet Storm Center's comment: "The ISC would like to go out on a limb and predict that the Internet will not vaporize into a cloud of nothingness this Thursday, but if it does, it's been our pleasure to help stave off its inevitable annihilation this long."
posted by tranquileye (30 comments total)

Kapspersky Labs is claiming (though this is secondhand, maybe thirdhand) that they didn't predict that at all:
A handful of sites are stating that Eugene Kaspersky, founder of
Kaspersky Labs, believes that tomorrow will bring a massive terrorist
attack on the Internet. This is being quoted in a range of ways, ranging
from factual reporting to citing the story as an example of cyber
hysteria.

However, Kaspersky is not predicting the end of the Internet tomorrow -
or even in the near future. The story stems from brief comments made
yesterday at a press conference which was dedicated to cybercrime and
the problems of spam.

More of their mail here
posted by malphigian at 1:26 PM on August 25, 2004

Also, it's in an anti-virus vendor's best interests to hype up fear and hysteria.
posted by cmonkey at 1:34 PM on August 25, 2004

I hate how "cyber-terrorism" gets written about so much despite the fact that it doesn't fucking exist.
posted by reklaw at 1:43 PM on August 25, 2004

"I would like to go out on a limb and predict that MetaFilter will not vaporize into a cloud of nothingness this Thursday, but if it does, it's been my pleasure to contribute to the inevitable annihilation all along."
posted by wendell at 1:45 PM on August 25, 2004

So, basically, brazen hackers will make it difficult to access sites for a few hours tomorrow. If this is a terrorist attack, I am not impressed.

Heck, it will give me an excuse to, you know, go outside and stuff.
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:00 PM on August 25, 2004

Outside? You mean the Big Room? I don't think so.
posted by Turtles all the way down at 2:10 PM on August 25, 2004

Who knows what Metatalk will bring?
posted by Smart Dalek at 2:24 PM on August 25, 2004

Metafilter: contributing to the inevitable annihilation all along.
posted by solistrato at 2:30 PM on August 25, 2004

I hate how "cyber-terrorism" gets written about so much despite the fact that it doesn't fucking exist.

i hate how "cyber-" anything gets written about so much despite the fact that it doesn't fucking exist.
posted by quonsar at 2:36 PM on August 25, 2004

What? Are you telling me cyber-sex doesn't exist? This is going to be so-o-o embarassing...
posted by wendell at 2:49 PM on August 25, 2004

Hey, next thing you know, somebody will predict that Apple's going out of business!
posted by eriko at 3:03 PM on August 25, 2004

Man, I really dont want to go back to the 80s, please cyber terrorists, dont destroy life as we know it!
posted by Satapher at 3:24 PM on August 25, 2004

*blows dust off VIC-20*
posted by quonsar at 3:56 PM on August 25, 2004

*Vic blows dust back at quonsar*
posted by wendell at 4:03 PM on August 25, 2004

I'm going fishing tomorrow.

Bye-bye.
posted by zaelic at 4:29 PM on August 25, 2004

Oh no! Not THE Internet!?!?
posted by SweetJesus at 4:38 PM on August 25, 2004

I still remember the last IT job I had. One of the old POS hubs would crash and half the building would lose network access, and immediately someone would come on the building-wide loudspeaker and announce, "The internet is down."

Everyone in IT would jump out of their chairs. Put their hands to their face in perfect Home Alone impressions, and run in circles going "AUUUUUGH! TEH INTARWEB IS DOWN!"
posted by SpecialK at 4:42 PM on August 25, 2004

This just proves once again that the Internet is dying. Netcraft confirms it...
posted by Dreamghost at 4:51 PM on August 25, 2004

You don't need to be a Kreskin to predict the Internet's future.
posted by reklaw at 5:00 PM on August 25, 2004

Cyber terrorism.

"I, George W. Bush, will stop the cyber terrorisms that are terrorizing Americans young and old. Now watch this drive."

It's almost as funny (but not as) the time I was reading Readers Digest: This woman in America just got this computer, and this guy kept messing with her. Recording her conversation with the PCs built in microphone, and finally she got an email that said "I know where you live" and her CD-ROM drive ejected. She didn't leave the house for a month. Look, i'm not funny enough to make this shit up.
posted by Keyser Soze at 5:53 PM on August 25, 2004

See you all on Friday.
posted by caddis at 5:54 PM on August 25, 2004

Oh great, and I'm working the phones tomorrow. I'll whip out my "I'm sorry, but we provide space for your web sitee, not your internet access" and my "the infrastructure of the internet is under attack" and I say BRING 'EM ON!
posted by TungstenChef at 5:59 PM on August 25, 2004

Can I just be a cleverclogs and point out that myself and CunningLinguist posted about this in the thread about the Russian airliner crashes 14 hours before tranquileye made this FPP? Then, against my better judgement, I submitted the links to drudgereport.com who, taking the bait, put one of them on his homepage. And now it's full-circled back to MeFi.

Scarily, I can't access my - normally reliable - web hosting right now.
posted by tapeguy at 6:07 PM on August 25, 2004

Is that Eastern Standard Time?

More seriously, our Internet is quite capable of going down all by itself. A few weeks back we had a total power failure because a tree took down power lines. Excuse me if I'm not terrorised by the idea of a Denial Of Service attack. Come 5pm, no matter if the company Internet connection is up or not, we all go home and don't think about it until 8-ish the next morning at the earliest. Next week if it's a Friday.
posted by krisjohn at 6:49 PM on August 25, 2004

Speak for yourself, krisjohn. How else am I ever going to embarrass myself while drunk without calling ex-girlfriends without this internet?? huhh?????

?

And am I going to have to go back to actually buying porno mags? Cos that's so embarrassing (not to mention so much work).!.!!!

There better be another interweb if this one breaks is all I'm saying. Aw i miss you guys already. high five! awright!

now high five again! dude!
posted by chicobangs at 7:35 PM on August 25, 2004

The hand writing is on the wall: The Internet faces a bleak future. In fact there won't be any future at all for The Internet because The Internet is dying.
posted by angry modem at 7:45 PM on August 25, 2004

I'm gonna sing the doom song now! Doom Doom D-Doom Doom Doom D-Doomy-Doomy!
posted by dejah420 at 8:42 PM on August 25, 2004

maybe the internet is turning into a butterfly
posted by Satapher at 9:48 PM on August 25, 2004

Imminent Death Of The Net Predicted!
posted by notme at 10:02 PM on August 25, 2004

Of course, I'm getting neither Google nor Yahoo at the moment...
posted by jalexei at 6:23 AM on August 26, 2004