rOOt3rs

[cyber@root]

 What happen to rOOt3rs in Cape Town???

[wilnix]

More importantly: who cares?

Wilnix

[Metgod]

*push, bang, bump*

'scuse me.. pardon me..

WHAT in the hell were/was r00t3rs ?

I never heard of 'r00t3rs' until this goof ball made this moronic post. Anyone care to clue me in ?


Met

[Zerored]

Now, you guys stop!!! Id like to know who and what happened to rootTHREEers in cape town also.

[Metgod]

*LOL*


Met

[wilnix]

The r00t3rs is actually thought to be one person and the story can be found on numorous websites by searching google. Just to make it one step easier:
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/WesternCape/0,1113,2-7-830_1276720,00.html

There. Now you know.

Wilnix

[Metgod]

Okay, well, obviously this cyber@root either is just interesed (or curious of) or he liked the 'work' of r00t3rs. Well, guess what folks.. Will, you just provided me something else to comment on. WHEEEE !

(As most of you can imagine I will be quite sarcastic, and riddle the author of this article to death. Lots of faulty [or lack thereof to be perfectly honest] thinking in this article...

And I brought up a lot of things because I enjoy commenting on things.. And as most should know, this is quite a relentless railing on the author here. Dismiss or read, doesn't matter. I know some enjoy this railing of mine, and others think it is childish or pointless.. well, actually, it is pointless yes.. childish, no.. just how I grew up... environment and many other things.. I don't know.. just amuses me to find as many flaws or errors that I can.. perhaps this comes from being extremely perfectionistic.. anyhow... )

So here goes.

Hacker attacks .co.za

[by Thinus Ferreira so you know when I use it]

[It would be more appropriate to call this article something along the lines of: "No life kid destroys data on South African computers."

But then again, the media are about sensationalism, right ? Well everyone else seems to think so including myself.. and that title above is more attracting. So I guess if that's what the media is about, he/she (or it) did right there.

Oh, and also.. not to be rude or anything.. but saying .co.za is under attack isn't exactly the best way to describe that South Africa is being attacked for a number of reasons, three being:

1 - Not everyone knows that .za is the extension for South Africa
2 - .co.za isn't an object at all. Nor is it really a country/continet. It is the END of South Africa domain names.. And you could not connect to just .co.za either..
3 - Just because South Africa CONTAINS computers that are attacked, does not mean the country itself is being attacked.

Besides, attacking computers isn't exactly attacking the country. And, below you list a number of entities that were attacked and none were really gov't from what I can see. If any computer would designate an attack on the country, it would be a government one. But even that is pushing it.. there is quite a difference between an attack on a computer and an attack on the country. And really, if they were so concerned and all, they would tighten their security.. the notion that a gov't (e.g., US) keeps confidential information accessable via the Internet and not even secured, is quite a scary thought.  

Now, stop saying moronic things. That is, again, sensationalism.]

Cape Town - Internet experts are chasing an unscrupulous cyber hacker (code name: r00t3rs) who is attacking South African websites.

[since when were hackers (true or otherwise) not be in a cyber world ? Answer: NEVER. Therefore, of COURSE he is a 'cyber hacker'. What a moron. mentions hacker and website and then they say cyber hacker.. uhh.. really, that is redundant and completely stupid, Thinus Ferreira.

Besides that, why on earth are you calling his alias/handle/nick a code name ? Well, regardless, it is an incredibly stupid name. That alone would be shameful. And I thought my handle was bad.. at least I don't have to use elite speak non sense.. -- and the only reason I haven't changed it is because those who know me.. blah blah]


His onslaught, which started on October 16 and is focused on local websites, is the worst since the advent of the internet.

[heh.. if you say so.. no matter what he may have done, it is not that spectacular in knowledge and also that it was really lame what he did. And he obviously didn't do much. Basically, he is fucking immature, clueless, and vandalilstic KID (and for those who doubt it, vandalistic is a word..)

oh and of course.. onslaught.. sensationalism.. but besides, onslaught is quite a bit exaggerated..]


On average one South African website per hour is being demolished by r00t3rs.

[you say demolished, I say sensationalism, okay ? :)

yet, you wrote later on (have to remain consistent you know) that he does sleep. That is not average.. not unless you include all of it.. afterall, what is the formula for average ? Ah I remember -- max samples/2.. so given that there are 24 hours in a day, and he sleeps some hours, that isn't an average, right ? :). Or did you mean average of his WAKING hours ? You should know better to not be too vague...

Also, might I add that 1 website per hour is NOT even remotely close to being the most 'impressive'. any one remember gH, or other folks who defaced hundreds if not thousands of websites at a time (which is not really incredible either given that it is/was often the case that only one provider is rooted and thus all websites on the machine are pretty much in the attackers hand) ? That certainly is much more than what this kid was doing, because even if he did it 24/7 (and everyone has to sleep at some point. Sure, they can stay up some days in a row, but not only is that not healthy, they will eventually sleep. That is a fact !) he would still be only destroying 24 websites per day. Not a high amount at all.]

A wide specturm of websites ranging is targeted, including business websites such as www.cluttons.co.za and www.pcjuntion.co.za, a Paarl wine estate (www.avondalewine.co.za), and a Free State university residence (www.vishuis.co.za).

[Impressive, really.. Well, actually, not. Besides, who really cares about what this kid did ? And is it right to almost praise this kid who really needs to be smacked across the room ? Report on it, fine. But you making it seem as if it is so incredible is pretty much praising him. Not only that, it's making you look like a clueless moron (but then again, you probably are, just like this script kiddie). He didn't do a lot and he doesn't possess much knowledge. Simple as that. I don't know why people are so surprised or amazed by these *so called* hackers who haven't done anything incredible in their pathetic, lonesome life. The only thing they have done is make enemies.. and lots of them. That and being jerks.]

Internet experts who initially were unclear over the hacker's nationality are now compiling a detailed profile. They are convinced r00t3rs is a South African effort.

[wow ! That took a great deal of stupifying ingenious, didn't it ? How hard is it to figure out the said notion is a good explanation for it ? So much for Internet experts, huh..]


Bedtime at 22:00

The profile assesses r00t3rs as a cyber youth between ten and fifteen, definitely very rich and very bored.

[And again, that's pretty easy to figure out. Almost always these are KIDS. Of course someone who does this is a kid. Doesn't take much sense to figure that out.

If he really is rich (hard to imagine in a undeveloped continent), it's sad to imagine. All that gold/money/whatever and yet so fucking stupid. So lame. So clueless.. just like you.

And obviously, he is bored. You think he does this because he really thinks he's going to accomplish something ? HAH ! As if anyone really pays attention to so much (often libel) crap they post.. only one who really cares are those who are victims.. and I can say for a fact that some of people really do think (read: know 100%) the kids are morons, immature, are vandals, etc..]

[Metgod]

uhm.. oops.. a bit too long.. sorry haha.. this is the reason others think it is pointless, especially when it won't change a damn thing and the author most likely will never see it.. but ah well..
Reinhardt Buys of Buys Attorneys Inc specialises in legal aspects of electronic trade. He is tracking r00t3rs's cyber journey of devastation says attacks are conducted in a purposeful way.

[What wonderful, coherent, well thought out and crafted sentences you made, really. It is one thing to just comment on something, or are tired, or just throwing down thoughts.. but when you publish and article, you'd hope it would be coherent. I think translaters (automated ones) could do a better job than this.  No excuses about native language, either. If you do something in a language you are not fluent in, then you should not publish it, or have someone who is good at both languages translate it.

Yes, some posts by me on this board could be better, but it's just a board. I can write very well and have been highly praised by English majors. One paper being a historical study of sorts of a major incidence in America that I wrote about (Salem Witchcraft Trials in 1692). But this isn't the place.]


"It corresponds to South African time. It starts at 8:00 and finished about 22:00 probably when it's his bedtime."

[So it can't be average.. not a correct one.. Unless you mean his waking hours; but you were quite vague on that. Shame on you !  But anyhow, this kid certainly has no life.. what a waste.. he should just be shot or something because he's just taking oxygen (well, I am not sure about the air in other places, but I am sure there are worse areas than Los Angeles) that those who really need it could use.]

The whizz kid focusses on South African websites based on the Windows NT system and attacks a weak spot in the system to gain access to the website and crush it.

[I think you mean wiz as in short for wizard. Take a look at a dictionary entry:

Main Entry: whiz
Variant(s): or whizz  /'hwiz, 'wiz/
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): whizzed; whiz·zing
Etymology: imitative
Date: 1547
intransitive senses
1 : to hum, whir, or hiss like a speeding object (as an arrow or ball) passing through air
2 : to fly or move swiftly especially with a whiz
transitive senses : to cause to whiz; especially : to rotate very rapidly

Probably not what you exactly meant, huh ?

And there is no such word as 'focusses'.
(now if you had spelled wiz right, perhaps it'd be okay, but obviously you can't write well at all...)

Again, you are so literate that it stupefies me !

Oh, and as far as you mentioning him getting in at a weak spot... exactly where else would he get in ? Duh ?

Anyhow, the fact that he only attacks WinNT says a lot... *points to r00t3rs* What's the matter... are you afraid of...  Unix, or Linux, or some other OS ? Or maybe you just don't know anything about them ? What a surprise, really.]

Once again WinNT is proof beyond reasonable doubt that the following are HUGE security risks:

1 - Admins which are any of the following -- clueless, don't keep up to date (yes it can be hard but it's a must), or those who rely on security through obscurity. Too often this is a problem. And quite often, too, it is the people that use NT/2k for servers.. they think security is a one time thing or who knows what else.. But that's not to say all do that.. because afterall, there are REALLY good admins I know and respect for their knowledge and experience.


2 - Microsoft. Only one name mentioned. *LOL*
]

Cyber front in US

"He knows what he's doing and he uses the same process each time. Page content is wiped out completely and in most cases he only leaves his name in a corner of the page. South Africa has never before experienced a similar cyber attack."

[Would the process be of entering or just damaging ? Either way, that is proof enough that he can't do much. If he can only enter in one way then he is by far worse than what I might have thought of.  And there is a 99% chance that he is using a program. Typical of script kiddies.]

r00t3rs was traced to a computer in the US, only to discover he had hacked into that computer as well, using it as a cyber front from where to launch his destruction.

[as if this was really startling.. It really amuses me though, that the kid is actually outsmarting the adults that are supposedly gurus. Even some kids realize they might be better off bouncing off another server to begin the attack. Also amuses me that the owner of the machine didn't even realize it. I think the admin needs to check logs a bit more.. that and who's been in and what time, IP address, and many other things including backdoors (which are not always the easiest to find but sometimes they are.. just depends).

The word destruction is used.. sensationalism again..
But anyhow, he obviously isn't from Cape Town so why even bother mentioning it except to say he was bouncing with a computer there ?]
]

Should the hacker be apprehended it would be the first hacker case to be tried under South Africa's new Internet and Trade Act prohibiting hacking.

[no.. prohibiting script kiddies from doing what kids do.. well, kids who have no morals, ethics, respect for others with property, etc.]

Anyone with more information can contact Buys at (021) 461-7387.

[even if I knew who this was, and that he hadn't been caught yet, I wouldn't waste the bill of a phone call to Buys.. Really could not care less about their 'investigation'.. especially when no one takes the initiative to tighten security.. I think that if one is not appreciating intrusions then they should tighten security. Common sense that unfortunately some people just don't get.]