Meetup.com Deals with First Extortion Attempt Ever

Meetup.com Deals with First Extortion Attempt Ever

  • By Ginger Hill
  • Mar 04, 2014

Have you heard about the strange email that the CEO of Meetup.com received on Thursday, February 27, 2014 at 10:26am? Apparently when Scott Heiferman opened his inbox he received the following message: “A competitor asked me to perform a DDoS attack on your website. I can stop the attack for $300 USD. Let me know if you are interested in my offer.” But, before reading the last word, meetup.com was swarmed with an 8.2 gigabit attack that almost sent the site to its demise, the company’s first attack in their 12-year history.Meetup.com Deals with First Extortion Attempt Ever

After taking approximately 24 hours to bring meetup.com back online on Friday, February 28, 2014, it went down again the next day, back up that night and down on again the following night. This up and down, roller coaster effect, is all the reason why companies should have an emergency response plan specifically for cyber-related events.

Experts are calling this attack a textbook example of a DDoS extortion attempt due to the ridiculously low amount of money demanded and the half-hearted reference to third-party attackers.

Left with this strange request for $300 bucks, meetup.com didn’t pay because they refuse to negotiate with criminals.

“You can’t negotiate with terrorists,” said Meetup.com CTO Gary Burns.

Besides, with extortion and such a low price, the $300 might just be a down payment, so meetup.com decided that a little down time was the way to go in this situation.

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • IoT Saves the Day

    IoT Saves the Day

    Today, creating a safe environment across schools, hotels, office buildings, housing complexes and other facilities has become a necessity. There are so many dangers lurking in buildings of all sizes and shapes from fire hazards, vaping issues, chemical/air quality issues, intruders and so much more. Read Now

  • One Pane, Less Pain

    One Pane, Less Pain

    Just because a solution is built on an open-standards platform doesn’t ensure that all the vendors’ systems will work together as promised. Some features may not be supported, or not supported to their fullest potential. Read Now

  • Revamping Wrigley Field

    Revamping Wrigley Field

    When talking about baseball in the United States, it’s hard not to think of the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field. With a history spanning more than 100 years, the Chicago Cubs are one of the most recognized teams in professional sports. Read Now

  • Enhancing Situational Awareness

    Enhancing Situational Awareness

    In an era marked by technological advancements and increasing security concerns, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into video surveillance systems has revolutionized situational awareness and critical infrastructure protection. Read Now

Most   Popular

Featured Cybersecurity

New Products

  • XS4 Original+

    XS4 Original+

    The SALTO XS4 Original+ design is based on the same proven housing and mechanical mechanisms of the XS4 Original. The XS4 Original+, however, is embedded with SALTO’s BLUEnet real-time functionality and SVN-Flex capability that enables SALTO stand-alone smart XS4 Original+ locks to update user credentials directly at the door. Compatible with the array of SALTO platform solutions including SALTO Space data-on-card, SALTO KS Keys as a Service cloud-based access solution, and SALTO’s JustIn Mobile technology for digital keys. The XS4 Original+ also includes RFID Mifare DESFire, Bluetooth LE and NFC technology functionality. 3

  • HID Signo Readers

    HID Signo Readers

    HID Global has announced its HID® Signo™ Biometric Reader 25B that is designed to capture and read fingerprints in real-world applications and conditions. 3

  • FlexPower® Global™ Series (FPG) from LifeSafety Power

    FlexPower® Global™ Series (FPG) from LifeSafety Power

    The FlexPower® Global™ Series (FPG) from LifeSafety Power—designed to provide DC power for access control systems in international applications—is now PSE listed for Japan and compatible with the country’s 100VAC applications. 3