Pro WikiLeaks hacker group’s DDoS tool downloads top 40,000

Imperva said there were three versions of the denial of service tool that members have been able to use:

• Manual
• Server controlled
• Javascript version with no download

Amichai Schulman, chief technology officer at Imperva, said, "The tool was originally developed as an open-source network stress-testing tool. It was recently tweaked to include a central command-and-control module".

"Operation Payback's ability to challenge serious sites and do that simultaneously is very much coupled to the introduction of the new version with its [command-and-control] capabilities", he added.

"My speculation is that due to the substantial increase in downloads, it is highly likely this is no longer just a social movement, but also a technical movement like a botnet", Schulman concluded.

The top 10 countries for downloads of the DDoS tool are:

This story was first published by Computer Weekly