KOREAN CYBER ATTACK AGAINST RIVAL ONLINE GAMBLING SITES

Posted 1/11/11 : Syndicate hires hackers to shut down rival gambling sites
 
The Korea Times reports that two people identified only as Lee (32) and Park (37) have been arrested on charges of attacking gambling websites with distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks at the instigation of a syndicate who operated an illegal gambling site.   The Korean Authorities have also suspended indicting four members of the Incheon-based crime ring on charges of ordering the attack.
 
It is alleged that 109 rival gambling websites were crippled by a DDoS attack for one to two hours each day between 21 November and 15 December last year by Lee and Park – who managed the syndicate's illegal gambling site.  The attacks were ordered with a view to gamblers turning to the syndicates' site if other sites were shut down to place their bets as quickly as possible.
 
The accused were reportedly provided with lists of 50 000 computers infected by the malicious codes which were purchased by the crime ring in China and informed via cell phone text messages and online chatting services of the names of the rival sites to be targeted.
 
“It is the first time that a crime ring has hired a professional hacker, provided necessary equipment and made systematic DDoS attacks,” a prosecutor said.