[OT] Hackers hacking phishers

[Richard Gaskin]

While I normally don't condone vigillantism in any form, after getting 
more than a thousand spammails this week from phishing expeditions I'll 
gladly make an exception for these folks:

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Underground showdown: Defacers take on phishers

A small percentage of Web sites illegally set up for phishing scams have 
been defaced with warnings to potential victims. While illegal, some 
Internet watchers believe the trend could be beneficial.

By Robert Lemos, SecurityFocus May 20 2005 10:37AM

Groups fighting against online criminals intent on phishing have gained 
allies from another species of underground miscreant: Web-site defacers.

On Thursday, Internet monitoring firm Netcraft reported that some users 
of the company's anti-phishing toolbar followed links to fake financial 
sites only to find them defaced with anti-phishing messages. While 
defacements in the past have consisted mainly of sophomoric messages and 
political diatribe, the recent attacks by Web-site defacers on phishing 
fraud could actually help warn online users before they become victims, 
said Paul Mutton, a services developer for Internet monitoring provider 
Netcraft.

"It is undoubtedly a good thing in that they are helping to protect 
innocent web users," he said. "On the other hand, it is perhaps 
unfortunate in that it's probably illegal."
....
<http://www.securityfocus.com/news/11212>

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At the bottom of the page is a modest discussion thread, in which a 
couple of the hackers boast and a lot of others sing their praises.

--
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World Media Corporation
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  Rev tools and more: http://www.fourthworld.com/rev