LET THE GAMES BEGIN

"Dutch authorities on Friday said police in the Netherlands arrested a 16-year-old who has admitted attacking websites belonging to WikiLeaks opponents.

A spokesman for the national prosecutor's office said the teenager had “admitted launching attacks on Visa and Mastercard sites.” A statement said he was probably “part of a larger group of hackers”."
DW-World

"Police said Friday they are investigating if hackers were responsible for taking down websites of police and prosecutors in the Netherlands after the arrest of a 16-year-old for involvement in a cyberattack on several prominent financial payment websites.

"We assume it is hackers. We are not sure yet," said National Police Service spokesman Dennis Janus.

Dutch media reported that the "hacktivist" group Anonymous tried to take down the two sites with a so-called denial of service attack.

Both sites were sporadically online Friday morning."
AP

Anyone else want to take on Assange and his faithful band of hackers? This is the fruit of a policy among world leaders of constantly focusing on the things that will line their pockets and strengthen their positions of power while disregarding the real world the rest of us live in.

Any kid in high school and any adult that's thought about how our lives have been effected by the net could have told our political leaders that the next and most damaging attacks would come from the internet. It only makes sense; common sense. But, as we're seeing now and as will continue to be driven home ever more forcefully over the coming days, the people in charge have put very little effort into creating security for the net, leaving gaping and potentially fatal holes in our respective defense systems.

Why? Because they can consolidate power and line their pockets selling bombers and keeping bases open. The military-industrial complex can't make as much money investing in IT guys as it can building missiles. There's just not that much in securing the net for the bankers, businesses and pols.

So now we'll watch as anarchy created by pimple faced loners sitting in their parents basements brings the world to a halt. Take one down, as the Dutch did, and ten more will finger their keyboards and take out some vital component of national interest. Badmouth Assange and your banking and credit cards will get hit just like Sarah Palin's. This is terror of the most personal sort.

Blowing up planes and buses is just so old fashioned. The new terrorists don't need money and they don't get dirty; they just type.

Welcome to our brave new world.