Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Stop Online Piracy. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Stop Online Piracy. Sort by date Show all posts

SOPA Returns! Not From Congress But As a Ransomware Virus

SOPA Returns! Not From Congress But As a Ransomware Virus

Last month in a report we said, that "SOPA & PIPA are dead, they're not coming back". Former Senate Christopher Dodd, now chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, said the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act aren’t going to be floated again in Congress. Now it seems that he was not fully right as The Stop Online Piracy ACT also known as SOPA the most controversial act which terrified almost every people, who is associated with Internet still chasing us, though the bill was defeated after massive protest; still  SOPA is not leaving us. I know its a tragic news, but do't be panic, this time its not the comeback of SOPA act from Congress but as a nasty cryptovirus that locks up people’s computers and accuses them of distributing copyright infringing files. Infected users can get their data back after a payment of $200 – at least, that’s what the virus makers promise. Several researcher have figure out and warning that new ransomware that claims to be an alert from the "Stop Online Piracy Automatic Protection System." It goes on to tell you that your computer is on a "S.O.P.A. IP Black List" because it was used to download copyright infringing materials, child pornography or illegal software. The malware encrypts all of your data files and holds them hostage, offering to decrypt them if you pay a fee to the criminals. According to report by Torrent Freakthe SOPA virus holds all files on the host computer ransom.
“Your computer is locked!” the splash screen above warns, adding:
If you see a warning.txt or warning screen, it means your IP address was included in S.O.P.A. Black List. One or more of the following items were made from your PC:
1. Downloading or distributing audio or video files protected by Copyright Law.

2. Downloading or distributing illegal content (child porn, phishing software, etc.)
3. Downloading or distributing Software protected by Copyright Law.

As a result of these infringements based on Stop Online Piracy Act (H.R. 3261) your PC and files are now blocked.
The SOPA virus is so-called ransomware, meaning that it holds computers hostage and only promises to free data after victims hand over cash. In the U.S. and Canada people are instructed to pay with a MoneyPak prepaid voucher, and in other parts of the world they can use Western Union. Those who don’t pay within three days are in trouble, the virus maker warns. “WARNING!!!: If you don’t pay the fine within 72 HOURS at the amount of 200 USD, all your computer data will be erased.”
People who are affected should of course ignore all the above. Searching online for “Stop Online Piracy Automatic Protection System Removal”” is a better option, there are plenty of ways to defeat the resurrected SOPA and get your data back.



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Anonymous Gave Warning To Sony (#OpBlackout, #OpLulzxmas, #OpMayhem)


Earlier we have told that Anonymous has reacted against the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) reconvenes by the US Senate. This bold protest of Anonymous continues. Recently the have posted a YouTube video declaring that they will hack Sony again. If Sony doesn't stop their support of the Stop Online Piracy Act. They have specifically said they are not hacking the PlayStation Network. "We're hacking the SONY network and exploiting its servers. NOT PLAYSTATION NETWORK" 

Video Release Of Anonymous:- 




According To The Video:-
"Your support to the act is a signed death warrant to SONY Company and Associates," Anonymous said in the video. "Therefore, yet again, we have decided to destroy your network. We will dismantle your phantom from the internet. Prepare to be extinguished. Justice will be swift, and it will be for the people, whether some like it or not. Sony, you have been warned."

A Message From Anonymous To Sony:- 


Brief About SOPA:-
The Stop Online Piracy Act is a bill that was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on October 26, 2011. The bill will increase the power of the U.S. Department of Justice and copyright holders.  The bill "would expand the ability of federal law enforcement to shut down foreign Web sites and services that that use counterfeited or pirated content created by U.S. firms."





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Anonymous Reacts Against Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)


Hacktivist Anonymous expressed their reaction against the the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) reconvenes by the US Senate. While the world has been given little time to react to SOPA, Anonymous promises its reaction won’t be little. The hacker collective said the overwhelming backlash against the controversial bill should be enough to defeat it but the very fact deliberations are being reconvened so swiftly today after breaking down last week makes it clear corporate lobbyists are working to see SOPA fast tracked.

Anonymous Statement :-

"The goal of the so-called 'Stop Online Piracy Act' SOPA is to empower litigious U.S. corporations to police the internet, with the ability to act as judge, jury and executioner. SOPA tramples civil rights laws, fair use, freedom of press and freedom of speech. Under SOPA, an average person could be arrested, fined, sued and spend time in a federal prison for so little as uploading a video to YouTube or even linking to one. This law further proves the reality of corporate rule and totalitarianism.


It has been clandestinely moved forward in an attempt to fast track the law under the radar of a culture drunk on materialistic obsession - as such The House Judiciary Committee is reconvening on the 21st of December. In short, we were lied to.


While it was the intent to give people little time to react, our reaction will not be little. This oligarchy rules without democracy, consent or support; it fears us, it fears protesters, it fears the solidarity of the Occupy Movement, it fears the 99pc, it fears YOU. The federal government currently perches on the narrow brink of collapse, let us give it a nice, hard push....."





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Wikipedia Will Go Dark (Blackout) While Protesting Against SOPA/PIPA


Not only Anonymous, The White House but also The Wikipedia Community has decided to blackout (Go Dark) the English version of Wikipedia for 24 hours, in protest against proposed legislation in the United States the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and PROTECTIP (PIPA) in the U.S. Senate. Wiki said that if the bill get passed, "this legislation will harm the free and open Internet and bring about new tools for censorship of international websites inside the United States." 

In A Public Statement Wikipedia Said:- 
"Over the course of the past 72 hours, over 1800 Wikipedians have joined together to discuss proposed actions that the community might wish to take against SOPA and PIPA. This is by far the largest level of participation in a community discussion ever seen on Wikipedia, which illustrates the level of concern that Wikipedians feel about this proposed legislation. The overwhelming majority of participants support community action to encourage greater public action in response to these two bills. Of the proposals considered by Wikipedians, those that would result in a "blackout" of the English Wikipedia, in concert with similar blackouts on other websites opposed to SOPA and PIPA, received the strongest support.
“Today Wikipedians from around the world have spoken about their opposition to this destructive legislation," said Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia. "This is an extraordinary action for our community to take - and while we regret having to prevent the world from having access to Wikipedia for even a second, we simply cannot ignore the fact that SOPA and PIPA endanger free speech both in the United States and abroad, and set a frightening precedent of Internet censorship for the world."
We urge Wikipedia readers to make your voices heard. If you live in the United States, find your elected representative in Washington (https://www.eff.org/sopacall). If you live outside the United States, contact your State Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs or similar branch of government. Tell them you oppose SOPA and PIPA, and want the internet to remain open and free."

The announcement follows a tweet by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales in which he said "Wikipedia protesting bad law on Wednesday!" The proposed legislation in question is the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also known as House Bill 3261 or H.R. 3261, and the PROTECT IP Act (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011), aka Senate Bill 968 or S. 968. This legislation is intended to prevent online piracy, but those opposing the proposals believe that the legislation will be used to censor the internet and endanger free speech. In an open letter, Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director Sue Gardner said that, if passed, the proposed laws "would seriously damage the free and open Internet, including Wikipedia"



-Source (The-H)



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The White House Is Also Not Supporting Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)


Not only Anonymous now even The White House also protested against Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) & also PROTECT IP Act (PIPA). House of Representatives bill SOPA and its Senate counterpart PIPA are designed to punish websites that make available, for example, free movies and music without the permission of the U.S. rights holders. Opponents of the bills, however, worry that the proposed laws would grant the Department of Justice too much regulatory power. Google Chairman Eric Schmidt has called the measures "draconian." Other Internet giants who oppose the bill include Facebook, eBay, Mozilla, Twitter, and Huffington Post parent company AOL.
The White House on Saturday officially responded to two online petitions, "Stop the E-PARASITE Act" and "Veto the SOPA bill and any other future bills that threaten to diminish the free flow of information," urging the President to reject SOPA and PIPA.
The statement was drawn up by Victoria Espinel, Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator at Office of Management and Budget, Aneesh Chopra, U.S. Chief Technology Officer, and Howard Schmidt, Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator for National Security Staff. They made clear that the White House will not support legislation that disrupts the open standards of the Internet. 

According To The White House :- 
"...we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet.
We must avoid creating new cybersecurity risks or disrupting the underlying architecture of the Internet. Proposed laws must not tamper with the technical architecture of the Internet through manipulation of the Domain Name System (DNS), a foundation of Internet security. Our analysis of the DNS filtering provisions in some proposed legislation suggests that they pose a real risk to cybersecurity and yet leave contraband goods and services accessible online. We must avoid legislation that drives users to dangerous, unreliable DNS servers and puts next-generation security policies, such as the deployment of DNSSEC, at risk."


For more information & to see the entire post click Here


-Source (Huffington Post)


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Anonymous Retaliates For Megaupload Shutdown & Bring Down DOJ & FBI (#OpMegaupload)


Federal authorities shut down one of the Web’s most popular sites Thursday on charges that it illegally shared movies, television shows, e-books and so on. In the payback hacktvist Anonymous called #OpMegaupload performed "The Largest Attack Ever" where 5,635 Anon people bring down the websites of Universal Music, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Recording Industry Association of America while using one of the world's most popular and vastly used DDoSer LOIC. 

"The government takes down Megaupload? 15 minutes later Anonymous takes down government and record label sites,"  Tweeted by Anonymous. That note was followed shortly by this one: "Megaupload was taken down w/out SOPA being law. Now imagine what will happen if it passes. The Internet as we know it will end. FIGHT BACK." The tweet referred to the Stop Online Piracy Act, an Internet piracy bill being considered in the U.S. Congress. 
Detailing the attacks, which are being dubbed as the largest performed by the group, via numerous Twitter feeds, @YourAnonNews said: "You cannot censor the internet. You cannot subpoena a hashtag. You cannot arrest an idea. You CAN expect us #OpMegaupload"


The link is a page on the anonymous web hosting site pastehtml. It link loads a web-based version of the program Anonymous has used for years to DDoS websites: Low Orbit Ion Cannon. (LOIC). When activated, LOIC rapidly reloads a target website, and if enough users point LOIC at a site at once, it can crash from the traffic. Judging from a Twitter search, the link is being shared at a rate of about 4 times a minute, mostly by Spanish-speaking users, for some reason. (Here's a link to the Twitter search, just don't click the PasteHTML link.)
The thing is, DDoSing is a criminal offense that could earn you 10 years in prison, if you do it intentionally. With previous versions of LOIC, participants had to acknowledge this risk and press a button labeled "fire." But now, it appears some enterprising anonymous member has retooled it so that it automatically fires if you click an unassuming link and leave a window open.
Megaupload.com distributed a variety of digital content, including music and movies. Investigators say Megaupload’s executives made more than $175 million through subscription fees and online ads while robbing authors, movie producers, musicians and other copyright holders of more than $500 million. “This action is among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States,” the Justice Department and FBI said in a statement.
On Thursday, the U.S. DOJ announced that it had charged seven people who allegedly were affiliated with the site with running an organized criminal enterprise responsible for worldwide online piracy of copyrighted content. The DOJ worked with authorities in New Zealand, who arrested four of the seven people.

"Twitter - @AnonymousWiki
January 19th, 2012
Popular file-sharing website megaupload.com gets shutdown by U.S Justice - FBI and charged its founder with violating piracy laws. Four Megaupload members were also arrested. The FBI released a press release on its website which you can view here: 
http://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/justice-department-charges-leaders-of-megaupload-with-widespread-online-copyright-infringement
We Anonymous are launching our largest attack ever on government and music industry sites. Lulz. The FBI didn't think they would get away with this did they? They should have expected us.
#OpMegaupload 
The following sites were taken down in response to the FBI shutting down megaupload.com
:) TANGO DOWN


justice.gov
universalmusic.com
riaa.org
mpaa.org
copyright.gov
hadopi.fr
wmg.com
usdoj.gov
bmi.com
fbi.gov
..."

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Kim Dotcom - Megaupload Founder Released On Bail

Kim Dotcom - Megaupload Founder Released On Bail 
Kim Dotcom Founder of one of the most popular file shearing websites Megaupload finally released on bail. Due to lack of money judge grant his bail on Wednesday. He was arrested for violating anti piracy act. Last month, U.S. authorities shut down Megaupload's websites and announced indictments against Dotcom and six other people connected to the site, accusing them of operating an "international organized criminal enterprise responsible for massive worldwide online piracy of copyrighted works." All these stuffs took place as an output of the recently issued Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). They say Megaupload generated more than $175 million in illegal profits through advertising revenue and the sale of premium memberships. The New Zealand police arrested Dotcom, a German citizen who has residency in New Zealand and Hong Kong, and the other three at the U.S. government's request. 
Hactivist Anonymous performed massive cyber attack (Claimed one of the largest attack ever) while protesting against Megaupload shutdown issue. They have declared operation Megaupload and engaged cyber attack to DOJ, FBI, & many other fedral authorities websites & Govt websites. But Megaupload's lawyers have denied the charges which online hacktivist have rallied to the site's defense.




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Sony Pictures Official Website & Facebook Page Hacked By Anonymous (#OpSony)


Remember few days ago we have covered that hacktivist Anonymous has given warning to Sony. Recently the have posted a YouTube video declaring that they will hack Sony again. If Sony doesn't stop their support of the Stop Online Piracy Act. Anonymous has confirmed that they have once again hacked Sony Pictures, gaining access to their Facebook account and website. Anonymous did threaten Sony for supporting the controversial SOPA bill and now it seems that the threats materialized.
The hack hit the Sony Pictures Facebook page and its web site homepage, according to reports and tweets from those involved. Comments were left on the web pages, but have since been removed.
The attacks carry the name #OpSony and were noted through the @s3rver_exe Twitter account


"#OpSony SonyPictures Hacked! by s3rver.exe , Anonnerd and N3m3515," says a tweet from that user, who continued, "I uploaded a @YouTube video (link removed) Sony Pictures Hacked By Anonymous."
"The hack wasn't big, but still the servers were vulnerable and I got access to the admin too," The Hacker added.
In 2011Anonymous caused major problems for Sony after successfully hacking into the firm's online gaming network and stealing the login information of thousands of users, forcing the system offline for several weeks.


-Source (The Inquirer)



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Former Senate & MPAA Chief Said -SOPA & PIPA "are dead, they're not coming back"

Former Senate & MPAA Chief Said -SOPA & PIPA "are dead, they're not coming back"

It seems that the mass protest against controversial act SOPA & PIPA finally succeedFormer Senate Christopher Dodd, now chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, said the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act aren’t going to be floated again in Congress. In an interview after an appearance at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club Tuesday night, Dodd told  “My own view, that legislation is gone. It’s over. It’s not coming back,”  Still, he said the massive protest against the measures, which included online petitions and massive e-mail campaigns, “was over the top.” SOPA, the more draconian of the two failed bills, would have required ISPs to prevent Americans from visiting blacklisted sites by altering the system known as DNS that turns site names like Google.com into IP addresses such as 174.35.23.56. Instead, for the blacklisted sites, ISPs would have had to lie to their customers and tell their browsers that the site doesn’t exist. 
SOPA and its sister bill PIPA were both definitively killed off earlier this year after an overwhelming campaign of online action by citizens and tech companies. Dodd sounded chastened, with a tone that was a far cry from the rhetoric the MPAA was putting out in January. "When SOPA-PIPA blew up, it was a transformative event," said Dodd. "There were eight million e-mails [to elected representatives] in two days." That caused senators to run away from the legislation. "People were dropping their names as co-sponsors within minutes, not hours," he said.
"These bills are dead, they're not coming back," said Dodd. "And they shouldn't." He said the MPAA isn't focused on getting similar legislation passed in the future, at the moment. "I think we're better served by sitting down [with the tech sector and SOPA opponents] and seeing what we agree on."

Dodd also continued to laud the "six strikes" plan that US Internet providers have agreed to enforce on behalf of the entertainment industry, insisting that it's an "educational" program aimed at illegal downloads. "If people are aware they're downloading illegal content, they'll go to a legal service," he said. "It's an experiment to see if we can get cooperation. It's not a law—you don't go to jail."
The MPAA won't have any kind of back-door to subscriber records at Verizon or other ISPs, Dodd said.



-Source (WIRED & ars technica)










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Hackerspace Global Grid Project (Satellite For Hackers)



German hackers is trying to start a movement to build a communications satellite that could support unrestricted channels on the Internet. The project, called the Hackerspace Global Grid, would consist of at least one satellite in low-Earth orbit providing connections among independent ground stations – creating a network of nodes completely independent of the Internet itself.
"The first goal is an uncensorable internet in space," said hacktivist Nick Farr, who began the call for a satellite project in August in response to new Internet restrictions in China, Libya, Syria and other authoritarian countries as well as pressure to suppress commercial content in Western countries with laws such as the Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa). "Let's take the Internet out of the control of terrestrial entities." 
Ground stations would cost between $100 and $150 for receivers that would use GPS to determine where the satellite should be and zero in on its signal, they said.



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Anonymous is attacking US Chamber of Commerce website






In protest of the "PROTECT IP" bill, hacker group Anonymous plans to attack the US Chamber of Commerce website Monday evening. Hacktivist group Anonymous plans to launch attack the US Chamber of Commerce website today at 8pm EST, according to a flier posted to 4chan.org and Reddit.com, which urges Internet users to join in the fight. The distributed denial of service (DDoS) campaign is an act of protest against a piece of supposed anti-piracy legislation proposed by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) known as the “Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property” bill, or “PROTECT IP.” Anonymous, known for its campaigns against both corporations and governments around the world who the group believes stifle the free flow of information, argues that, if passed, PROTECT IP “would allow the US Government to force [Internet service providers] and search engines to censor websites they do not like under the guise of ‘copyright protection.’” The online protest was first announced Sunday in a statement released by the group, which reads:
“As pioneers of this new world, it’s our duty to resist and fight those who attempt to stop us. Whether you’re a journalist or blogger, or a participant of Anonymous, or the activists on the ground who protest against these corporate thugs and oppressive regimes and risk everything for freedom of information and speech, we are all in this battle together and we have a responsibility to protect our civil liberties.
“This attack tomorrow will send yet another message to the pigs that run the state that we will not be another cog in the f****d up clock that these corporate entities attempt to preserve through their political puppets in Washington.
“This is our world now and we will fight for it. Take it or leave it.” 
The PROTECT IP bill, a reiteration of the failed COICA bill, would give the US Justice Department broad powers to shut down access to websites it deems “dedicated to infringing activities.” As Anonymous accurately describes, these powers include forcing ISPs to block access to targeted websites, and even requiring search engines, like Google and Bing, to completely remove the websites from their search indexes. Perhaps even more troubling, the bill would also give private citizens — i.e. copyright holders — the ability to request that the government block a websites’ ability to display advertising, or process payments. Anonymous says that, rather than reduce piracy, the bill simply “endangers the free flow of information,” through the use of “domain seizures, ISP blockades, search engine censorship, and the restriction of funding to accused websites,” says Anonymous. All of this, they say, “takes Internet censorship to the next level.” The hacker’s interpretation of the bill, a summary of which leaked online last week, is echoed by a variety of other privacy advocates, who say the legislation is woefully misguided, and will result in rampant government censorship. “Protecting copyright and trademark are of course important objectives,” writes author and technology expert Larry Downes in an analysis of the bill posted to CNet. “But doing so by trampling due process rights, tinkering dangerously with the mechanics of the Internet, and impressing into police duties an expanding set of Internet service providers, hardly seems the best solution.” Anonymous first came into the world spotlight after launching a series of similar attacks on the corporate websites of PayPal, Master Card and Visa, all of which stopped processing donation payments made to whistle blowing website WikiLeaks. Most recently, members of the group were accused by Sony of initiating (or, at least, facilitating) an attack on its PlayStation Network, which resulted in the theft of nearly 13 million user credit cards, and could cost the company upwards of $170 million in damages. Those who wish to join in the DDoS attack — which simply overloads a website’s servers with an overwhelming amount of traffic, causing it to go offline — can join other Anons in the #OperationPayback IRC channel, where countless supporters have gathered to coordinate the attack. 


Anonymous Message on IP ACT






To read a full summary of PROTECT IP  CLICK HERE

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Anonymous Shutdown Greek Ministry of Justice

Greece Under Cyber Attack, Anonymous Bring Down The Website Of Greek Ministry of Justice 

After releasing the sensitive conference call now hacker collective group Anonymous has targeted the cyber fence of Greece. They have launched a cyber-attack on the Greek Ministry of Justice website, and warned of plans to target a further 300 ministry and media sites. The hack was apparently a protest against the Greek government's signing of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), which is designed to reduce internet piracy. 
"You have introduced a new dictatorship upon your people's shoulders and allowed the bankers and the monarchs of the EU to enslave them both economically and politically," the group's message said. "You have joined the IMF (International Monetary Fund) against your people's acquiescence…democracy was given birth in your country but now you have killed it," the hackers added.
In a message left on the Greek Justice Ministry's website, the group threatened to take down 'all the media in Greece' unless the Greek government retracts its support for the global treaty, which Britain has also signed. The website was briefly listed as 'under construction' following the attack, but was amended to display the following message from the online collective:
'We know EVERYTHING, We have your PASSWORDS , We are watching YOU.
NEXT TARGET WILL BE ALL THE MEDIA IN GREECE. ( ertTV , etc )
WE HAVE MOST OF THE MEDIA WEBSITES ADMIN PASSWORDS.
We are Legion . This is JUST the BEGINING.
www.ministryofjustice.gr is just an example of what we are capable of!
You have 2 weeks to stop ACTA in Greece otherwhise we will do CYBERWARFARE by defacing 300 sites and all the media and ministries.'


Greek police said via Twitter that their cyber-crime division had already begun an investigation into the Ministry of Justice attack. Few days ago for ACTA protest another hacktivist group Teamgreyhat has hacked more than 7K websites. Also in Operation Megaupload  Anonymous has performed massive cyber attack on federal authorities, Brazil Govt, US Govt, Ireland Govt, CBS and many more.




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