Wikileaks - technical

Various bits and pieces about how Wikileaks is getting past Amazon and EveryDNS blocks and how you can help (if you have a server).

The list of Wikileak mirrors is here. And how to set up a Wikileaks mirror is here.

From the Guardian we have an explanation of the Wikileak IP trail.

Would like to know how the Paypal donation block is going to be got around.

Wikileaks update

The weekend seems to have been relatively quiet on the Wikileaks front.

Only two real breaking stories but some interesting commentary and background.

The breaking stories are that the latest release of US State Dept. cables includes one requesting an inventory of strategic points of interest to the US in each country where it is represented.

In this story the lawyers of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange claim they are being hassled by the security services.

Some interesting background and commentary:

First up is Swedish ISP Bahnhof's role in keeping Wikileaks online (from CNN! and pointed out to me by friends at Bahnhof who are also the technical contact for the São Tomé e Príncipe domain).

Then we have Marc Ambinder in the US National Journal questioning the IT systems that allowed how US military private Bradley Manning had access (in Iraq at the time) to so much classified material.

You can no longer donate to Wikileaks using Paypal.

Finally, extremely well-argued commentary from Juan Cole (which I don't entirely agree with) on Informed Comment.

EveryDNS and Wikileaks Part II

The Beeb has picked up on the story of Wikileaks being thrown off the EveryDNS service. So Wikileaks relocated to a server at IP address http://213.251.145.96/ or http:/www.wikileaks.ch (in Switzerland). Meanwhile a whole bunch of Wikileak mirrors have cropped up - list available at http://wikileaks.info.

Ironically, and to quote from the BBC,

"One web expert explained that Wikileaks had managed to re-establish web access via a different address,

"Users visiting the www.wikileaks.ch website appear to be directed via a Swedish website on to a server in France which is now hosting their main website," explained Sebastien Lahtinen, director of web hosting firm NetConnex.

In a surprising twist, the .ch address is also hosted by EveryDNS.

"It seems a strange choice given that they pulled the plug on the .org address just a few hours ago," said Paul Mutton, a security analyst at internet services firm Netcraft. "It could be that Wikileaks is quite happy to play a cat and mouse game with them," he added."

EveryDNS and Wikileaks

So here is the EveryDNS press release on its suspension of Wikileaks ...

"All systems are functioning normally.

EveryDNS.net provided domain name system (DNS) services to the wikileaks.org domain name until 10PM EST, December 2, 2010, when such services were terminated. As with other users of the EveryDNS.net network, this service was provided for free. The termination of services was effected pursuant to, and in accordance with, the EveryDNS.net Acceptable Use Policy.

See more.

More specifically, the services were terminated for violation of the provision which states that "Member shall not interfere with another Member's use and enjoyment of the Service or another entity's use and enjoyment of similar services." The interference at issues arises from the fact that wikileaks.org has become the target of multiple distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks. These attacks have, and future attacks would, threaten the stability of the EveryDNS.net infrastructure, which enables access to almost 500,000 other websites.

Thus, last night, at approximately 10PM EST, December 1, 2010 a 24 hour termination notification email was sent to the email address associated with the wikileaks.org account. In addition to this email, notices were sent to Wikileaks via Twitter and the chat function available through the wikileaks.org website. Any downtime of the wikileaks.org website has resulted from its failure to use another hosted DNS service provider."

Amazon and Wikileaks

So we are told here by Amazon why they took down Wikileaks - of course not political pressure!