MIT Graduate Program in Comparative Media Studies

Studying Media and Making Media

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Activist DDOS Campaigns: When Similies and Metaphors Fail

CMS grad student Molly Sauter!

Molly spoke at HOPE Number 9, a long-running hacker conference:

DDOS as a tool cannot be wholly condemn or lauded without its surrounding context.

In this talk, I’ll be examining those previous characterizations, and at different DDOS campaigns that do and do not fit those models. Next I’ll be outlining the current state of play of activist DDOS. Finally I’ll be presenting a new analytical model for looking at activist DDOS campaigns, and presenting an analysis of the December 2010 Operation PayBack DDOS campaign against PayPal.

About Andrew Whitacre

Andrew directs the communications efforts for CMS/W and its research groups. A native of Washington, D.C., he holds a degree in communication from Wake Forest University, with a minor in humanities, as well as an M.F.A. in creative writing from Emerson College.

His work includes drawing up and executing strategic communications plans, with projects including website design, social media management and training, press outreach, product launches, fundraising campaign support, and event promotions.