Parts of Wikipedia offline after malicious attack on it

Parts of Wikipedia offline after malicious attack on it

AgenciesUpdated: Saturday, September 07, 2019, 10:28 PM IST
article-image

Washington: Popular online reference website Wikipedia went down in several countries after the website was targeted by what it described as a "malicious attack". The server of the Wikimedia Foundation, which hosts the site, suffered a "massive" Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, the organisation's German account said in a tweet late Friday. In a separate statement the Wikimedia Foundation said that the attack on the encyclopedia one of the world's most popular websites was "ongoing" and teams were working to restore access.

DDoS attacks often involve legions of zombie computers machines infected with viruses and commanded to simultaneously visit a website. Such a massive onslaught of demand can overwhelm website computer servers, slowing service or knocking them offline.

Wikimedia condemned the breach of its server, saying it threatened "everyone's fundamental rights to freely access and share information." Similar cyber attacks have hammered other popular internet domains including Twitter, Facebook and Google in recent years.

RECENT STORIES

BRICS Condemns Pahalgam Attack; Calls For Shunning Double Standards In Combating Terror

BRICS Condemns Pahalgam Attack; Calls For Shunning Double Standards In Combating Terror

Reuters’ X Handle Inaccessible In India For A Day; Govt Intervention Forces Restoration

Reuters’ X Handle Inaccessible In India For A Day; Govt Intervention Forces Restoration

BRICS Raises Serious Concerns On US' Unilateral Imposition Of High Tariffs, Inconsistent With WTO...

BRICS Raises Serious Concerns On US' Unilateral Imposition Of High Tariffs, Inconsistent With WTO...

'BRICS Remains A Powerful Force For Global Good': PM Modi At Summit

'BRICS Remains A Powerful Force For Global Good': PM Modi At Summit

PM Modi Shares Warm Hug With Brazilian President Lula At BRICS Summit (VIDEO)

PM Modi Shares Warm Hug With Brazilian President Lula At BRICS Summit (VIDEO)