export_ofoct.com (1)

[00:00.68] We're talking about computer hacking.

[00:02.80] So Richard, what exactly do we mean by hacking?

[00:06.52] Accessing a computer without authorisation.

[00:11.57] So why is it in the news? Well, there's been a huge attack recently – a DDoS attack.

[00:19.27] Hold on, hold on. DDoS? Which is?

[00:22.99] A Distributed Denial of Service attack.

[00:25.91] Explain what that means.

[00:27.77] We're hosted on a server. Right.

[00:30.69] It happens to be in Germany.

[00:32.55] Now, if millions and millions of people throughout the world all typed on their computer to get into our website, it would completely take the website down.

[00:41.32] Because? It can't handle so many people accessing our website at the same time.

[00:47.16] So is that a kind of hacking, though?

[00:49.55] Well, it is the way it was done because, obviously, you can't just get millions of people to attack a website, can you? No.

[00:56.72] So what the hackers have done, they created a piece of malware.

[01:02.03] OK, OK, that is bad software, isn't it?

[01:05.75] Yes. We've all, we've heard of viruses and worms, etc.

[01:08.41] Malware is the generic term.

[01:10.54] And with this malware, they took control of millions and millions of computers.

[01:16.38] And those computers then attacked these websites.

[01:19.83] And who did these computers belong to?

[01:21.96] Just normal, everyday people? Well, that's the interesting thing about this attack.

[01:26.21] When you have this network of bad computers, it's called a botnet.

[01:29.93] But the interesting thing about this attack is that they were all, they're called the Internet of Things.

[01:37.89] They're computers like, for instance, controlling fridges or webcams or garage doors.

[01:45.33] They're all these little bits of, little computer-like instruments that are throughout the world now.

[01:50.91] And they took control of these.

[01:52.77] How did they take control of things like that?

[01:55.69] Well, all of these things, they're connected to the Internet.

[02:00.47] And often people, they have the default username and password, which this piece of software could easy guess.

[02:05.78] And that's how it, that's how they did it.

[02:07.64] So who's doing this, Richard? A very good question.

[02:10.57] No one knows. Now then, because it's such a big attack, some people immediately suspected governments, Russia or China.

[02:19.60] Because they're attacking well-known websites, aren't they?

[02:23.85] They were well-known websites based in the US of A. Right.

[02:27.83] So that was why they thought it might have been foreign governments.

[02:33.67] But then it could also have been even teenage hackers in their bedroom.

[02:37.66] And also, there are cyber criminals involved as well.

[02:41.91] Because cyber criminals harness these, as I mentioned, botnets to blackmail companies.

[02:49.08] They say to a company, we are going to attack your company unless you give us lots of money.

[02:54.39] So there are lots of cyber criminals as well.

[02:56.52] Now, we're a fairly small site, Richard.

[03:00.24] Are we safe? I hope so.

[03:02.36] But having said that, our website did go down for two hours a couple of days ago.

[03:09.27] And we're not sure why.

[03:10.86] The first for us.

[03:12.46] So what about you, the listeners?

[03:14.58] Have you been affected by this denial-of-service attack?

[03:20.69] Have you been hacked at all?

[03:21.49] Or have you noticed where lots of websites you've tried to access have gone down?