[070910:1430] Malaysia Today’s web servers have been out of action for most of today, leaving thousands of readers stranded with only an error message, in what appears to be an anniversary attack on the site a year after its founder and editor Raja Petra Kamarudin posted images of secret Cabinet papers on the RM12 billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal.
Visitors to the Malaysia Today site received an error message like the one shown above, which indicates that Malaysia Today’s database server has come under severe strain, possibly as a result of an internal attack. The site’s technical people hope to bring up the server later today but could give no estimate of how much longer it would be.
(Update: The site was restored at about 9pm after almost 12 hours offline. Intermittent access problems may still occur over the next few days, tech support said.)
A year ago, Malaysia Today came under sustained attack over the course of week after Raja Petra posted images of Cabinet memorandums on Port Klang Free Zone. Several people, most prominently former MCA president Ling Liong Sik, now face criminal charges and speculation is that several more prominent politicians including a former Umno leader may be charged after the holidays.
Soon after RPK posted the images of the secret Cabinet papers, which the Government tacitly admitted were true, the Malaysia Today site came under a severe and sustained attack. Initially this consisted of a block on the site, placed at Malaysian internet service providers. After MT switched to an offshore server, a massive distributed denial-of-service attack was launched against it; a massive number of repeated requests were made from hundreds or thousands of computers simultaneously, thus shutting out all other users.
Today’s attack, though still unconfirmed, was concentrated on the database server, which stores and keeps track of the thousands of articles, graphics, logos, photographs and other items needed when readers request a page. Technical sources say the attackers may have compromised MT’s servers by placing rogue code via the commenting system, where readers give their responses.
The commenting system is a point of vulnerability for many news web sites: it is essential for news sites and blogs today because it draws the reader into the site, but also leaves the site exposed to attack. Many news sites such as The Independent and Malaysian Insider now use external commenting systems where the comments themselves are hosted on independent servers.
18 Sept 2009: Problems at RPK’s site after exposé
19 Sept 2009: Govt admits RPK revealed secrets
20 Sept 2009: Full block on Malaysia Today?
21 Sept 2009: Govt all-clear for RPK, Malaysia Today
27 Sept 2009: Malaysia Today not available again
27 Sept 2009: Behind the attacks on Malaysia Today
28 Sept 2009: Malaysia Today explains attacks
uppercaise 
just as I thought. It happened again after a long smooth surfing all throughout the year. hmmm..the work of APCO?
Not necessarily. There are plenty of agencies and allies involved in the dirty tricks game.
As expected the cybertrooper of UBN Najis in action again.Is it due to rumurs and Malaysia Todays report yesterday that several UMNO big bastar will be charged relating PKFZ scandal. And most probobly the paid troopers by those name appear in the web?
Every criminal has got a trail….!
I’m sure you mean the criminals behind the theft of billions in PKFZ.
I think he meant the criminals of the Faecal Coalition behind all the thefts of the Rakyat’s mullahs!
When money becomes no object, one easily gets sucked into the dark side. If only this weren’t the case, this would be a glorious world to raise your kids in, a world free of injustice and lack.
agree with you. if only there’s a limit to what we can own, it should cure the GREED and WASTE.
We should never be discouraged and give up our struggle against the forces of evil no matter how difficult the going is. Let them use all the underhand methods that they can think of. Good will finally triumph over evil. Just play our part by convincing the fence sitters. Do not waste our time on their die-hard supporters. GE13 is drawing near.
distribute malaysia-today news to as many sites as possible and see if they can take all down.
excellent suggestion. every time RPK posts something controversial, especially confidential stuff, friendly blogs should replicate the posting in case of attack.
I was worried yesterday when I could not get connected to the website. This is how the UMNO/BN govt will do when they can’t control the internet…something like what China does..albeit less severe.
Malaysia Kini website also experienced some form of ‘attack’ yesterday when the website directs me to a page warning me of Malware….
Can we expect an official denial that botnets were not rented from criminals?
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Has there been another attack today (9/92010) ? I can’t access Malaysia Today today. I can access it yesterday no problem.
More site problems, yes. See the main page http://j.mp/bApkaU
Free Malaysia Today also attacked.
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