opinion

Chasing the Monkey Boys

I call them “monkey boys” after the line in the cult-classic film, Buckaroo Banzai – but depending upon their actions, you might call them something else. When these actions involve an illegal, fraudulent or otherwise malicious attack on a website, you might call them everything from “hacker” to “cracker” to “script kiddie” – or worse. Regardless, they’re all still monkey boys to me…

The latest monkey boy to catch my attention came from www.usuc.us – a website that is registered to Juan Campanur. I’ll withhold his physical and email address, but it seems that Juan thinks that “U Suck Us” or “U Suck U.S.” is a good place to launch website attacks from, and given the foreign gibberish on his www.sprendimai.net website, might think that he’s beyond my reach; but with an apartment listed in Virginia, that may hardly be the case…

To be fair, perhaps the attack wasn’t caused by Juan, but it certainly came from a domain he (according to NetSol) controls. I say to be fair, because I routinely have monkey boys using my various domains for the return address on their spam, and folks get mad at me for violating their inbox – even though I have nothing to do with it. Still, whether or not Juan is responsible may be open to discussion. Where the attack came from, isn’t.

The attack occurred yesterday when an automated system tried to flood the age verification script (Larry Walters’ BirthDate Verifier™) on one of my sites.

This attack came from an IP controlled by ATMLINK, at 600 W. 7th Street, Suite 360, Los Angeles, Calif. – folks that will be hearing from me. You see, this attack is a criminal offense, both federally and in some states and Larry’s system makes it really clear that fraudulent use of the mechanism violates a number of statutes; what it doesn’t tell you is that access attempts are logged – a log I routinely review.

It was my review of this log that uncovered the attack and disclosed the attacker’s method, the attack’s originating location and the attacker’s IP address – all of which allowed me to obtain the information in this piece. I sent Juan an email at the address listed on his site’s WHOIS record:

Yesterday, Wednesday, December 13, 2006 at 7:36:00 EST, you initiated an attack on our website at Amateurs-Guide.com. This is in violation of Title 28 U.S.C. §1746; in violation of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-Sign Act), 15 U.S.C. §7000, et seq.; and in violation of state and federal anti-hacking laws. This attack, initiated from your computer, located at 216.240.157.3, using the script at http://usuc.us/j.php, was recorded by our internal security systems and this attack has been reported to the authorities as well as to your Internet service providers.

While this doesn’t amount to much, it at least lets folks know that their bullshit is not going unnoticed and that I’m keeping an eye on their activities. I’ll contact ATMLINK and let Larry know about this, too. I’ll likely forward it to my friends at Justice as well.

At the end of the day, some weenie trying to gain access to my TGP/MGP without properly filling in the AVS form isn’t going to keep me awake at night; and I doubt that I’ll expend any further time or energy on this issue – but it did make for a good story and this post on my blog, which shows the types of issues that working webmasters deal with and some of the ways in which webmasters can respond to these issues – and that’s what Stephen’s World is all about!

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

profile

'Traffic Captain' Andy Wullmer Braves the High Seas as Spirited Exec

Wullmer networked and hobnobbed, gaining expertise in everything from ecommerce to SEO and traffic, making connections and over time rising through the ranks of several companies to become CEO Mobile at TrafficPartner.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

Why BDSM Furniture and Sex Machines Make an Ideal Match

For BDSM enthusiasts and curious newbies alike, a big part of the fun is discovering and exploring exciting new sensations and scenarios. One way to level up is by combining or layering pleasures you already enjoy, and one surefire way to do that is with BDSM furniture.

Rebecca Weinberg ·
opinion

To Cloud or Not to Cloud, That Is the Question

Let’s be honest. It just sounds way cooler to say your business is “in the cloud,” right? Buzzwords make everything sound chic and relevant. In fact, someone uninformed might even assume that any hosting that is not in the cloud is inferior. So what’s the truth?

Brad Mitchell ·
opinion

Tips for Boosting Ecommerce Revenue With Behavioral Insights

At our marketing agency, we focus on using real data to make better decisions for our clients. We believe every action a visitor takes on a website can tell us something important. This helps us shape our strategies and assist our clients in turning casual website visitors into loyal customers.

Lauren Bailey ·
opinion

Upcoming Visa Price Changes to Registration, Transaction Fees

Visa is updating its fee structure. Effective April 1, both the card brand’s initial nonrefundable application fee and annual renewal fee will increase from $500 to $950. Visa is also introducing a fee of 10 cents for each transaction, and 10 basis points — 0.1% — on the payment volume of certain merchant accounts.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

Unpacking the New Digital Services Act

Do you hear the word “regulation” and get nervous? When it comes to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), you shouldn’t worry. If you’re complying with the most up-to-date card brand regulations, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

A Look at the Do's and Don'ts of Gift-With-Purchase Promos

Imagine you’re at a store, deciding between two products with similar packaging, features and pricing. You’re not predisposed toward either brand and you haven’t seen any reviews — but one of them offers, “Free gift with purchase!” Does that win you over?

Vanessa Rose ·
opinion

The Perils of Relying on ChatGPT for Legal Advice

It surprised me how many people admitted that they had used ChatGPT or similar services either to draft legal documents or to provide legal advice. “Surprised” is probably an understatement of my reaction to learning about this, as “horrified” more accurately describes my emotional response.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Tips for Navigating a Completely Remote Job in Sexual Wellness

Anyone working in the sexual wellness and pleasure sector has at some point had to deal with issues like bias against the industry, as well as limited marketing and advertising options.

Bryony Lees ·
opinion

Free Agent Auteur: Casey Calvert Expands Her Directing Horizon

Now, having brought that highly-awarded polyamory trilogy to a close, Calvert is concluding the exclusive Lust Cinema directing chapter of her career and charting a new course out into open creative waters as a free agent.

Alejandro Freixes ·
Show More