Hackers attacked the websites of two organisations campaigning against the smoking ban last week, redirecting UK users to the NHS Smokefree site.
The attack, which targeted British organisation Freedom2Choose and Forces International, lasted 11 hours. Freedom2Choose webmaster Steven Cross said the redirect appeared to have been caused by a DNS poisoning attack.
“One hour after the attack we received a phone call about what was happening, but there was not much we could do since it was not our server that had been attacked,” he explained.
Freedom2Choose vice chairman Andy Davis said (without apparent irony): “It appears that Freedom2Choose has annoyed someone high up - it seems they don’t want the truth to get out.”
Both groups claim the smoking bans are based on fraudulent scientific claims about passive smoking. “Five out of six studies show second-hand smoke to be entirely harmless,” says Davis.
A spokeswoman for Freedom2Choose said that the organisation was funded by members and run by volunteers. It has 85 members who pay £10 to join.
Forces International president Stephanie Stahl said: “To redirect our UK visitors to an anti-smoking website shows that the anti-smoking movement must be very nervous about the information our pro-freedom groups provide. Domain names are sacred on the free-spirited information super highway - we trust that those responsible for this serious violation will be identified and held accountable.”
No one has been fingered as the author of the attack but, much to the relief of the tobacco-fanciers, both sites are working now. No matter how healthy the NHS Smokefree site may be, its content will never be as amusing as reading the claims that the smoking ban is a case of “social engineering”, or that the ban in NY is “causing all kinds of problems [and] ‘bad vibes’”
By Maryetta Ables on Apr 14, 2008 | Reply
Maryetta Ables, former President of FORCES International notes that this attack was a level3 pharming incident.
This attack altered a dns server somewhere on the internet. Somewhere along the line the dns records were altered. This was not a ‘framed’ site nor was it a fake site, the dns records were altered.
This is not just an attack on freedom2choose or forces - this is an attack on the planetary level of the internet traffic system.
http://www.freedom2choose.info and http://www.forces.org were specifically targeted in this attack.
What the web site is, or the content it carries is irrelevant, what is relevant is the breach of security and violation of laws.
By emy on Apr 15, 2008 | Reply
This attack is far from being democratic. I am a nonsmoker but I think anti-smoking policies and campaigns have offend smokers.Everyone has the freedom of choice. I decided not to smoke, someone decided to smoke.It is his own business and nobody has the right to nanny him or her. I support the restriction on smoking, but it goes too far.Smokers were deprived of their personal rights and more than that: they pay a lot taxes and fees. Aren’t these enough? Fast food and chips are also very dangerous for our help but nobody banned them, at least yet.
I just want to ask the NHS Smokefree site to be honest and care of their own business.