PDA

View Full Version : Camelot forum attacked



Strat
4th August 2012, 13:49
I have an account over there (same name and avatar but haven't been there in a long time). I received this email from them:


--------------------

"Please read all of this if you plan to continue to participate in the forum.

As I am sure many of you have noticed Camelot Forum was down for about two days.
This was the result of a major attack on the Camelot Forum website.

http://camelotforum.com

The forum has now been completely re-done as a result of the recent attack.
This means that all users must re-register their accounts. We will try to transfer some threads in the next few days, but please be patient with this effort. Post count and other statistics can also be transferred, but please be patient with this as well as it will require a lot of work."


--------------------

If you're a hacker, and you take down Camelot, who do you plan on taking down next? If this forum goes down completely, a lot of info will simply be lost. Maybe us the members should take initiative and save info from important threads. That would be as easy as copy and paste.

If everyone stores 1 gb of info we can have everything stored and would be virtually immune to hackers. I don't expect everyone to do so, but that's a good example of what we're capable of.

Also, just be on the safe side and watch your emails. The Camelot attack wasn't automated (I'm assuming) it was deliberate. So I doubt anyone over there will get email viruses but it's best to be on the safe side.

Bill Ryan
4th August 2012, 13:55
-------

I've not heard anything directly from Kerry or Tommy, but what I don't yet understand is why they didn't have a serviceable backup of the member database (and everything else, for that matter).

The Avalon Forum is backed up several times a day, and the data is stored in separate locations. It could not be taken down apart from by a huge-scale EMP event.

Strat
4th August 2012, 14:02
The Avalon Forum is backed up several times a day, and the data is stored in separate locations.

That's very impressive.

Who do yo reckon is responsible for the Camelot attack?

gooty64
4th August 2012, 14:16
Another forum recently went down for 2 days and didn't blame it on a NWO attack.

They said it was something about too many bots or something like that.

Sierra
4th August 2012, 14:24
The Avalon Forum is backed up several times a day, and the data is stored in separate locations.

That's very impressive.



Hi Strat,

Right on!

Ilie and Paul are meticulous in their spectacular care of this forum. :) As well, I feel honored and privileged to work with them, because they are lovely (lovely!) respectful and kind admins who make it a joy to work as a mod.

Sierra

modwiz
4th August 2012, 14:49
The Avalon Forum is backed up several times a day, and the data is stored in separate locations.

That's very impressive.



Hi Strat,

Right on!

Ilie and Paul are meticulous in their spectacular care of this forum. :) As well, I feel honored and privileged to work with them, because they are lovely (lovely!) respectful and kind admins who make it a joy to work as a mod.

Sierra

They have become very good, IMO.

Now, is what matters.

Dennis Leahy
4th August 2012, 14:54
The Avalon Forum is backed up several times a day, and the data is stored in separate locations.

That's very impressive.



Hi Strat,

Right on!

Ilie and Paul are meticulous in their spectacular care of this forum. :) As well, I feel honored and privileged to work with them, because they are lovely (lovely!) respectful and kind admins who make it a joy to work as a mod.

Sierra
I know this to be true.

I will also say that I feel for Kerry and Camelot members going through this. It sucks that there are people around that gain satisfaction from obliterating someone's work (or in this case, a whole community's work.) I'd guess a mean-spirited (or sociopathic?) individual did it, not affiliated with an alphabet agency. When that Phoenix rises, and they will, they will need to 'harden' their site and meticulously perform backups (and keep full backups in several places.)

Dennis

Sierra
4th August 2012, 15:17
Ilie and Paul are meticulous in their spectacular care of this forum. :) As well, I feel honored and privileged to work with them, because they are lovely (lovely!) respectful and kind admins who make it a joy to work as a mod.

They have become very good, IMO.

Now, is what matters.

<bows to the Grey Wizard> History has a way of sneaking up on the now sometimes.

Sierra spiraling onward ... <and so relieved as a former systems manager/programmer-analyst, it is not *her* cleaning up the Camelot mess>

truth4me
4th August 2012, 15:45
The old saying is "you don't realize what you had until it's gone" Maybe Kerry might start to realize that over there.....

ThePythonicCow
4th August 2012, 15:48
The Avalon Forum is backed up several times a day, and the data is stored in separate locations. It could not be taken down apart from by a huge-scale EMP event.
Last week I ordered EMP bags, so that I can keep a backup safe from that too :).

(Though what good a computer disk backup will be, after the electric grid and almost all computers are fried, is not clear to me.)

Bill Ryan
4th August 2012, 18:59
The Avalon Forum is backed up several times a day, and the data is stored in separate locations.

That's very impressive.


Ilie and Paul are meticulous in their spectacular care of this forum. :) As well, I feel honored and privileged to work with them, because they are lovely (lovely!) respectful and kind admins who make it a joy to work as a mod.


I second that. We're lucky to have them. We could not have two more dedicated and more competent admins. The forum's in extremely safe hands.

Limor Wolf
4th August 2012, 19:46
:cow: + :panda: = :first:

Tommy
4th August 2012, 21:57
Hi,

All the past threads will be released in read only format this weekend, this is also included in that e-mail (not the this weekend part though). Our entire set of databases are backed up regularly, however, you don't let something get compromised and put it back up the way it was, that is like asking for trouble. Like I also said no user information got extracted or otherwise affected according to the logs, also in the e-mail that was for some reason edited out before posted here.

So like I said, there are several backups a day made of the entire almost 200GB \ databases Camelot server, backing up is simple enough.. lol. including the old .org which contains Bill's older work as well. Keep in mind we are left alone for maintaining and paying for that space too.

Again, I am a programmer, and if I see flaws that can compromise our system I do not "cross my fingers and hope it works out". In fact successful attacks towards reading user databases usually happens without being noticed. The reason I bring it up is because I monitor all relevant unix system logs at all times and have monitoring and triggers installed to let me know if certain things happen.

So as an end note, things are not as easy as it can sound. Secondly, the forum needed an update as well, this new version had been in the works for months. I did not want to transfer old data which could possibly cause damage to the new site, not worth the risk.

UPDATE: Archived forum now online:
http://projectcamelotportal.com/archivedforum/public_html/

All the best,

Tommy

Dennis Leahy
4th August 2012, 22:01
Best of luck to you, Tommy, for the work ahead of you. As if you didn't already have enough piled on your plate, right?

(I know "luck" isn't part of programming, but I'm sure you read my vibe.)

Dennis

Tommy
4th August 2012, 23:25
Best of luck to you, Tommy, for the work ahead of you. As if you didn't already have enough piled on your plate, right?

(I know "luck" isn't part of programming, but I'm sure you read my vibe.)

Dennis

Read it loud and clear :)

Cheers mate, appreciate your support!

All the best to you and yours,

Tommy

mosquito
5th August 2012, 02:15
(Though what good a computer disk backup will be, after the electric grid and almost all computers are fried, is not clear to me.)

Paper tape or punch cards perhaps !!!! Imagine how long THAT would take, not to mention the odds of someone dropping at least 1 box of cards :p

Sierra
5th August 2012, 11:11
Hi,
Secondly, the forum needed an update as well, this new version had been in the works for months. I did not want to transfer old data which could possibly cause damage to the new site, not worth the risk.

UPDATE: Archived forum now online:
http://projectcamelotportal.com/archivedforum/public_html/

All the best,

Tommy

Oh yuck, new system *almost* ready to be installed and data in old format still? That sux. Hang in there.

Sierra :wave: