Hacking contest probably hoax

NEWS The warning that hackers are planning a mass attack on websites on Sunday 6 July is nothing but hype, according to some security experts. The purported hacker contest awards points to vandal groups for defacing websites, with higher points awarded for sites that are run on less common servers. The winner of the contest will be the group that defaces 6,000 servers in the shortest time. "Due to the large scope of the contest, normal internet activity could be disrupted," Internet Security Systems (ISS) wrote in an advisory sent to media outlets. The so-called hacker challenge was issued by a single anonymous source, according to a report in the "The Melbourne Age", an Australian daily. In an earlier report by silicon.com sister publication CNET News.com on the event, some security firms and ex-hackers were already pooh-poohing the scare as nothing more than a prank by mischief-makers. An ISS spokesman had said that they only released the warning after news of the impending attack had already been leaked to the media. TruSecure, a US-based security firm, said that it was "unfortunate" that one security services provider and the Department of Homeland Security in the US seized upon it to give it far more publicity than it deserves, said "The Age". "The Age" quoted various security experts saying that news of the mass attack was overstated by the media. Marc Maiffret, chief hacking officer of eEye Digital Security was quoted as saying that the scare originated from "random loudmouths that get press coverage now and then".