Apps and Software By Lee Mathews Dec. 10, 2013 3:00 pm
You may have seen what a DDoS looks like, and you probably know participating in a DDoS attack is illegal in most countries. But do you know the kind of astronomical fine you might face if you join in?
One Wisconsin man is finding out the hard way. He’s been nailed with a $183,000 fine — and he was only involved in a DDoS attack for one minute.
Eric J. Rosol plead guilty to the charge of accessing a protected computer. Rosol was one of many Americans outraged by the actions of the billionaire Koch brothers, who were accused of manipulating Wisconsin’s political system and pushing an anti-union agenda. Rosol made the choice to protest by getting involved with OpWisconsin (albeit very briefly).
The Koch Industries website was only taken down for 15 minutes by the OpWisconsin DDoS attack, and according to court records the actual financial losses to the company were less than $5,000.
If Rosol had stolen property from a neighbor totaling less than $5,000, Wisconsin law calls for a fine of no more than $10,000 or three years and six months in jail (or both). So how did he end up with a $183,000 fine for running an automated DDoS tool for 60 seconds?
Because Koch Industries claimed that the attack necessitated a $183,000 expenditure to a consulting firm to better secure its web servers.
Obviously Kosol’s participation was minimal, and the impact of a single node during a large-scale DDoS attack is minimal. Kosol, however, was unlucky enough to be caught, and it’s clear that the presiding judge wants to set an example. There’s certainly no way he could actually believe that Kosol himself was 100% responsible for the attack and therefore should endure 100% of the claimed costs.
Hopefully the $183,000 fine won’t hold up upon appeal. It’s nothing short of ridiculous, especially when two convicted arsonists in Wisconsin recently had to cough up just $6,400 for burning down a vacant house that still belonged to someone.
Now read: Android malware mimics Play, performs DDoS attacks, sends text spam
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One Wisconsin man is finding out the hard way. He’s been nailed with a $183,000 fine — and he was only involved in a DDoS attack for one minute.
Eric J. Rosol plead guilty to the charge of accessing a protected computer. Rosol was one of many Americans outraged by the actions of the billionaire Koch brothers, who were accused of manipulating Wisconsin’s political system and pushing an anti-union agenda. Rosol made the choice to protest by getting involved with OpWisconsin (albeit very briefly).
The Koch Industries website was only taken down for 15 minutes by the OpWisconsin DDoS attack, and according to court records the actual financial losses to the company were less than $5,000.
If Rosol had stolen property from a neighbor totaling less than $5,000, Wisconsin law calls for a fine of no more than $10,000 or three years and six months in jail (or both). So how did he end up with a $183,000 fine for running an automated DDoS tool for 60 seconds?
Because Koch Industries claimed that the attack necessitated a $183,000 expenditure to a consulting firm to better secure its web servers.
Obviously Kosol’s participation was minimal, and the impact of a single node during a large-scale DDoS attack is minimal. Kosol, however, was unlucky enough to be caught, and it’s clear that the presiding judge wants to set an example. There’s certainly no way he could actually believe that Kosol himself was 100% responsible for the attack and therefore should endure 100% of the claimed costs.
Hopefully the $183,000 fine won’t hold up upon appeal. It’s nothing short of ridiculous, especially when two convicted arsonists in Wisconsin recently had to cough up just $6,400 for burning down a vacant house that still belonged to someone.
Now read: Android malware mimics Play, performs DDoS attacks, sends text spam
More...
