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Real war spawns virtual battle By Guy Griml Tags: israel news The all-too-real war in the Gaza Strip has spilled over to virtual reality. From Saturday thousands of Israeli Internet pages were accessed and despoiled by hacker attacks originating from Morocco, Lebanon, Turkey and Iran, says Gary Warner of the University of Alabama in an interview with NetworkWorld. Meanwhile, a group of Israeli university students set up a Web site that enables any surfer to attack Hamas sites. "We are a group of students tired of sitting on the sidelines and watching the residents of Sderot and the towns by Gaza suffer," said one of the site's founders. Advertisement The students' site allows the surfer to download software that carries out a Distributed Denial of Service attack - it continuously accesses a target Web site in order to create traffic overload, causing the servers to collapse. That would render the target site inaccessible. "We want to block the servers on which the Hamas sites sit," explains Gal, one of the site's founders. "That requires recruiting a large number of computers that will initiate contact with the enemy's sites." Downloading their software is legal. But DDoS attacks are not. Also, the software could theoretically give its disseminators control over the computer using the software. Jonathan Klinger, an expert on computer law, notes that there's a distinction between disseminating the orders for an attack and carrying it out, and the latter carries a three-year sentence. If the site doesn't actually urge you to commit attacks, then it's safe under free-speech law, Klinger adds. CNet reports that the Israeli site Debka collapsed after a Saturday attack. Hackers also seized control of Israeli domain names and diverted Ynet English readers and Discount Bank site users to Palestinian propaganda. Moving onto Facebook, there's a new application allowing surfers to update status with each rocket attack in the south. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Haute advice Sarkozy tells Peres IDF Gaza op does not strengthen Abbas. W speaks Bush says Israel has right to protect itself against Gaza attacks.

Read & React Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff: How much time does the IDF have left in Gaza? Responses: 70 Sarkozy: Hamas to blame for suffering of Palestinians in Gaza Responses: 47 Amira Hass: Wounded Gaza family lay bleeding for 20 hours Responses: 78 'We lost our homes for nothing,' says reservist from former Gaza settlement Responses: 59 Amir Oren: What's happening in Gaza is neither war nor occupation Responses: 33 More Headlines 22:40 Israeli troops trade heavy fire with Hamas gunmen in northern Gaza 23:51 Sarkozy tells Peres: IDF Gaza operation does not strengthen Abbas 23:53 Bush: Israel has right to protect itself against Gaza attacks 23:00 Demonstrators cry 'nuke Israel,' carry Hezbollah flags at U.S. anti-Israel rallies 23:52 Two Israelis wounded by Gaza mortars in western Negev 21:05 U.S. to foil any Arab bid to push Security Council resolution for Gaza cease-fire 23:51 Gaza War Diary III: If Mexico shelled Texas, like Hamas shells Israel 22:30 Iran: We have 70,000 suicide bombers ready to strike Israel 23:51 Israel arrests newsman with Iranian TV for prematurely reporting on IDF entry into Gaza 20:19 ANALYSIS / Egypt emerges as big winner from Gaza crisis 18:20 Get up to the minute coverage of the warfare in Gaza directly to your email 18:21 PICTURE GALLERY / Gaza incursion sparks protests around world 23:10 Amira Hass / For 48 hours, gunbattles kept wounded Gaza family from medical aid 16:35 Livni: Israel will no longer show restraint when attacked 21:42 Over 2,000 take to streets of Haifa to protest IDF Gaza operation 21:17 The Guardian publishes obituary of Hamas terror chieftain killed by IAF 18:22 IDF shell kills Palestinian family of seven near Gaza City 18:21 Mauritania recalls ambassador from Israel in wake of Gaza offensive 13:40 Court orders home of Jerusalem yeshiva terrorist sealed off 14:37 Hamas official: We must lay foundation for a tomorrow without Zionists 21:02 ANALYSIS / How much time is left for the IDF to operate in Gaza? 14:51 Netivot mayor demands to have pre-school centers in bomb shelters 16:58 9/11 plotter ordered bombing of Tunisia synagogue, French prosecutors say Previous Editions Select Day 05 jan 04 jan 02 jan 01 jan 31 dec 30 dec 29 dec 28 dec 26 dec 25 dec 24 dec 23 dec

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