I'm not so sure at all. I was employed for over 6 years in the ISP business, and I'd think, from the signature of the attack, that this was a hacker who used some recent trauma at SK to perpetrate an attack and make it look like it was disgruntled board members.

Depending on the level of smarts involved, there may not be much to go on for SK to trace this. I'd hope that they had the intelligence to involve law enforcement, particularly the FBI immediately. The truth is that if they don't have a backup of the server logs and a complete copy of the board at about 8:35am (CST) this morning, there won't be anything to prosecute with.

However, my gut feeling is that someone used information garnered from lurking to do this and deface the site. It was simply far too obvious an attack, and if the people whose accounts here *ARE* involved, they are simply asking to be thrown in jail. All you have to do is reconcile server logs against the board logs and then pick out the matches. Everything else can be accomplished by one subpeona.

Far too easy.

However, if the hacker had control of not only the VBulletin system but also the servers, there may not be any evidence left. First thing a hacker does is delete logs and disable logging to eliminate the trail of evidence, unless they are terminally stupid.

I'm guessing we're looking at a script-kiddie with too much time on his/her hands who thinks this is all hilarious.

I mean, while some of the implicated members have an axe to grind, I simply don't believe them terminally stupid enough to use their own login name for forged posts.

Hopefully SK management will learn their lesson and get a real security/IT firm to help them secure and update the site and prevent this sort of silliness in the future.

Bill

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