MEM China attack

[Jo]

Just to let you all know over the last week our forum has been inundated with attempted log-ons from China. To prevent this attack from bringing down the server we have had to effectively ban all Chinese IP addresses 

If anyone finds that they have been banned for no apparent reason it may be that we have mistakenly banned you computer's IP address. We are monitoring things and will unban you as soon as we realise our mistake

Jo

[crueby]

More internet crazyness. I guess they want our cutting-edge steam technology... 

[Jasonb]

That's what you get for allowing the Red Devil into your workshop Jo

[Jo]

That's what you get for allowing the Red Devil into your workshop Jo

 

[Art K]

I think it's our cutting edge IC engine tech.
Art

[stevehuckss396]

Hello Jo!

What exactly is the point of these attacks? What do they hope to gain? Are they fishing for free plans thinking they are stored on sites like this? I know they have started producing many of the steam and hit miss engines that have free plans available on the interweb. Do they think that a disruption to a site as important as this one will lead to a total collapse of the government? Other than just being a$$ho!es I don't see what's in it for them.

???

[b.lindsey]

Steve, there are various way to check individual ISP addresses as to location (China in this case) and sometimes more information if that address has had a history of nefarious activity from spamming, to being infected with one of the many botnet viruses which can pass from computer to computer. When looking at many of these, sometimes they show little if anything, but I have run across one or two that indicated they had a history of for personal information...things like credit card info, etc.  I don't think MEM has much exposure there, but we all still need to be vigilant about storing any personal date here or anywhere for that matter. I think your a$$hole assessment is the more accurate for most of these attacks. While you may still see the "number online" figure climb above normal levels, 99% of them are now banned and can NOT gain access to the forum, yet still they sit there trying to connect time after time and that shows up in the count too. We hope they will eventually get tired of the ban notices and just move on.

Bill

[Jo]

Other than just being a$$ho!es I don't see what's in it for them.

I think you have hit the button on the nose. They get a buzz for being a pain. What they have also done is denied their countrymen access to our website so that they can copy our photos and claim our builds as theirs


We get other spammers who seem to think we want to see other types of porn other than machine tools or model engines  But many are just trying to join so they can tempt you to go to their infected website so they can scam you 

Jo

[Jasonb]

I've recently had a batch of spammers on ME forum selling embalming powders, was half tempted to approve them as the lack of model making there makes you think they are all one step in the grave

[stevehuckss396]

Well thanks for staying on top of the situation and thank you for your hard work keeping this forum safe. It's a great place with some darn right nice people and one of very few places that supports the hobby.

[b.lindsey]

Thanks Steve. I have to say dealing with this insanity isn't much fun though, but must be done.

Bill

[MJM460]

Another vote of thanks to the Admin and moderators.  Well done.  Your efforts are much appreciated.

MJM460

[Craig DeShong]

I used to (back in my working days) manage the unit that ran the web severs for NCState University.  The hacking from China was relentless.  Keeping the university web sites safe was a full time job so I know the effort y’all are taking.  Thanks for your efforts.

[b.lindsey]

Craig, it is amazing ( not in a good way) how relentless they are. Even when banned, they just keep trying, some obviously using the equivalent of robocalling. One of the more active ones I saw this morning had something like 175 pages of bans to one isp address over 24 hours, at 15 ban notices per page. They just don't quit, but at this point I think we have most of them banned and hopefully with minimal disruption to our members.

The total hits to all bans in place has been over 6000 just since 8:30 this morning. And all this for a small hobby forum . I can even begin to imagine it at the University level!!

Bill

[crueby]

Maybe we should put up threads with titles about 'supercheap nukes' for them to target, fill the threads with blurry plans (with bad dimensions) for old toaster ovens. Would keep them busy for a while...