Hackers go online to wage war

WITH much of the focus on the ongoing battles in Afghanistan and recent skirmishes between North and South Korea, a smaller - but possibly just as explosive - war has been largely overlooked.
Those troublesome types behind the WikiLeaks website have been under attack - and not just by just about every government across the world.
'Unknown' hackers tried to prevent the release of hundreds of thousands of classified US State Department documents by attacking the WikiLeaks website.
Earlier this week on Twitter the online whistleblower said its website was "under a mass distributed denial of service attack".
However to ensure the impact of its sensational disclosures it released some of the documents to leading national newspapers in Spain, France, Germany, England and New York.

The website later returned to normal service and published the documents leading to mass political denials and speeches.

The documents included 'harsh' criticism by US embassy staff of their host governments, including Russia and China, and unflattering pen portraits of world leaders.

They also disclose how last year Arab rulers urged the Americans to take military action to halt Iran’s nuclear programme.

In a typical denial-of-service attack, remote computers commandeered by rogue programmes bombard a website with so many data packets that it becomes overwhelmed and unavailable to visitors.

Pinpointing the culprits was impossible because the internet’s structure does not allow for the tracing back of the data packets used in such attacks, computer security expert Bruce Schneier said.
Hackers have used denial-of-service attacks over the years to target corporate and government websites.
Last month political bloggers in Vietnam said they were victimised by cyberattacks designed to block their websites to stifle government dissent. Other targets have included US and South Korean government websites in 2009 and computer networks in Estonia, which were crippled for nearly three weeks in 2007 by what were believed to be Russian hackers.
In the weeks leading up to the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, Georgian government and corporate websites were hit with denial-of-service attacks. The Kremlin denied involvement.
James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert and a senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said it was unlikely the US or some other government would use denial-of-service attacks against WikiLeaks.
His best guess was "a bunch of geeks who’ve decided they’re annoyed with WikiLeaks".
For many it's a difficult subject to be drawn on. Do you choose to side with the free-speech promoting WikiLeaks chaps? Or do you side with the guys who'd rather not see these documents released for fear of a 'reaction' from upset states?
Surely if a minister, leader or state is prepared to propose something with a means to an end, why should it be secret? If something is discussed in private then it's easy to understand, but if it is freely discussed by an open democratic state why hide?
Anyway, winding my neck in here are the latest games reviews and games charts:


Title: Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action
Price: £24.99
Hit count: 92%
Red Dead Redemption was another smash hit for Rockstar in its own right and, mirroring its successful strategy in releasing additional content for Grand Theft Auto 4, the developer brings us Undead Nightmare.
The new offering gives the wild-west title a much needed shot in the arm for gamers who may have already completed the original single-player story.
This time around, Marston’s out to combat a fever plaguing the town – which essentially is zombifying everyone (and everything).
And so begins a brilliant series of missions, played out in much the same way as the main game, but with a few interesting twists.
Not only are the people not what they seem anymore, but zombie horses with unlimited stamina, mad bad bears and a whole lot more bring a creepy vibe to the game.
Once the eight-hour, single-player quest has been completed, a couple of new multiplayer modes should also be explored – Undead Overrun proving to be particularly enjoyable – as you and online pals team up against wave after wave of spooky enemies.
As always, this is top quality free-roaming fun.


Title: Football Manager 2011
Platform: PSP
Genre: Football Management
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 88%
Let’s do the time-warp: And no, I’m not talking about dressing up a bit weird and putting your hands on your hips.
Much less energetic, but significantly more engrossing, is slipping the Football Manager 2011 disc into your PSP and losing yourself in the time-warp that is the virtual world of football management.
It’s the epitome of long-term, on-the-go gaming, as you turn the club of your choice into Champions League challengers.
And the options are endless: A staggeringly huge database of players to pick from with all the transfers included from the summer transfer window, improved positions tactics screen and much better graphics in the 2D game engine all take the already polished experience to another level.
Plus, the game ’skin’ has also been updated for a fresh new feel.
It’ll give you a headache trying to think about how so much data has been packed onto one little disc, but save your grey matter – you’ll need it to secure world football domination...


Title: Need For Speed Hot Pursuit
Platform: PS3
Genre: Racing
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 91%
Console racer fans have had plenty to get their teeth into in 2010 and Need For Speed Hot Pursuit has made a late winter burst to grab the top spot on the podium going into the lucrative Christmas period: And it blows the competition away.
Not only does it benefit from the same super-tight controls and jaw-dropping visuals that developers Criterion constantly delivered in the Burnout series, but it also offers up a cops and robbers-style career mode that sets it apart from the host of similar titles on the shelves right now.
Blasting through this mode from both sides of the law will show you just how differently the same stretch of road can play out, depending on your driver objectives.
Also, it's surprising just how much strategy you'll need to deploy to reach the later stages, where the cream of the souped-up motors come out to play.
Add to that an incredibly satisfying online experience, and you have a game that's sure to hit the spot in stockings around the UK this Christmas.

 

Title: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

Platform: Xbox 360

Genre: Action Adventure

Price: £49.99

Hit count: 90%

The critically acclaimed Assassin's Creed experience is back and better than ever, as Ezio returns in an epic struggle against the powerful Templar Order.

Now a legendary Master Assassin, Ezio must journey into Rome to strike at the heart of the enemy.
And this time, defeating the corrupt tyrants entrenched there requires not only strength, but leadership, as you (Ezio) must command an entire Brotherhood that will rally to your side.

This team-attacking capability is one of the major new developments for the stunning series – which is also enhanced by a host of new Renaissance-era gadgets and gizmos to help you in your epic quest.

Yet again, the graphics are stunning and the story is as engaging as ever.

When also considering the full-blown multiplayer mode added to the Brotherhood offering, gamers will find an embarrassment of action riches at their disposal here: All of which should see Ezio-mania live on for some time yet.

 

Title: EA Sports Active 2 - Kinect Compatible

Platform: Xbox 360

Genre: Fitness
Price: £79.99
Hit count: 85%

Clear a space in the lounge and transfer all fragile valuables into another room, as EA Sports Active 2 – the home-based workout in a box – comes to Xbox 360.

Making full use of the Kinect hardware’s motion sensing capabilities, this title comes complete with new leg and arm straps as well as a heart monitor, which can track every press up and sparring session you complete.

And it’s the community element of the title that really adds a new dimension to the experience – with users able to track their fitness data through automatic uploads and then compare with the progress of friends.

And the sheer scale of exercises to tackle is enough to make you exhausted, with more than 70 different tasks available to mould into your perfect personal fitness program.

Alternatively, you can try out the ones designed by professional personal trailers.

All in all, Sports Active 2 is a fab way of showing what motion sensing gaming can bring to the party, so get your shorts and sweatbands sharpish.

 

GAME CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE

1. Call Of Duty: Black Ops

2. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

3. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit

4. FIFA 11

5. Just Dance 2

6. Wii Party

7. Wii Sports Resort

8. Professor Layton And The Lost Future

9. Kinect Sports

10. New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) 2010 UKIE Ltd