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The Internet Gets Attacked
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Just in case you didn't realize or notice, the LA Times and many other news sites are reporting that hackers on Tuesday briefly overwhelmed at least three of the 13 computers that help manage internet traffic around the globe. According to the Times, this attack is one of the most significant against the Internet since 2002.
The very powerful attacks lasted almost 12 hours but went pretty much unnoticed by most Internet users, which, according to experts, is a "testament to the resiliency of the Internet." No motive for the attacks is known at the moment but a trace of some of the data back to its point of origin revealed that it came from South Korea.
To explain a little more these computers control what is known as DNS or Domain Name System. For the vast majority of people who use the Internet, DNS is something you never think about and really, why should you? DNS is a system that works behind the scenes and is what allows you to type in www.laist.com to get to our site instead of a bunch of numbers. So basically, DNS translates numbers to names and names to numbers and is one of the vital parts of the Internet that allows it to function.
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If, for some reason, this system failed or was taken down by hackers the entire Internet could cease to function. Of course, it would be almost impossible to take down the entire DNS system due to all of the security and safety measures that have been implemented over the years. But even with all the security, people still try. Its a terrible thought not having the Internet one day, isn't it? Having to go without your daily dose of LAist would just be too much to take.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
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