A DDoS attack was carried out on Monday on multiple websites in Fort Lauderdale , Florida, by individuals associating themselves with the hackers Anonymous .
The reason behind these attacks is the fact that the city passed some laws that restrict panhandling at busy intersections, sleeping on public property in the city center and limit feeding the homeless in outdoor areas by charitable groups.
These laws have sparked a backlash from Anonymous, whose members have attacked Fort Lauderdale websites, including the city's official website and the police department. The Sun Sentinel reports that the city's email system has also been affected.
The attackers achieved nothing with their action, because the laws are still in effect. In the relevant video posted on YouTube , they threaten Mayor Jack Seiler that they will “bring down” the main Fort Lauderdale website if their demands (revocation of the ordinances) are not met.
In order to deal with the DDoS attack by Anonymous, the authorities made the decision to voluntarily disable websites as a precautionary measure to avoid any system breaches.
Unfortunately, the attacks affect not only the authorities but also the citizens of Fort Lauderdale who are seeking information or trying to pay their bills.
In the relevant video, the attackers call the action “Operation Lift the Bans” and give the Mayor a 24-hour deadline to meet their demands.
The Mayor is not backing down and expects more DDoS attacks
The city officials have no intention of meeting the demands and, on the contrary, have informed the state and federal authorities about the incident.
According to the Sun Sentinel, Mayor Seiler said that this incident would not affect his position in any way, meaning that Anonymous' efforts were in vain.
DDoS attacks have become a common form of protest lately, as these services are quite cheap on the underground market, with a medium-sized attack costing up to $50/€40, which allows anyone with little money to work with a service provider of this kind.
In some cases, a DDoS attack can be exactly “smokescreen” for more destructive activities, such as achieving unauthorized access to the network.
However, this does not appear to have happened in Fort Lauderdale, as the mayor stated that there is no recorded breach. Nevertheless, more DDoS attacks are expected in the coming period.
