A HOAX ACCUSATION against I.T.1 - To whom this may concern

Site Admin Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 25

A HOAX ACCUSATION

This letter is intended to inform the public with regards to
“the hoax accusation against IT1.”

A Small local E-Business site is accusing us (IT1) of bringing their site down.

Let’s first talk about the brief history of IT1, before going down to our arguments. IT1 was organized mid last year. Originally, we are a group of IT professionals from different fields, one if it is a webmaster, a mobile software developer, database expert, expert in graphics design, network specialist and the like, with the same goal, that is, to serve our countrymen in terms of IT solutions. Thus, the name Information Technology One or simply IT1 came out as the group’s name. During this time, we’ve discussed on how WE as IT1 can serve our countrymen with utmost diligence; and established our own rules and regulations as member of IT1. We came into conclusion that the main objective of IT1 will focus not on trade nor business, but to give the best IT services and solution; and that the earnings we will gain in the course of our services is merely incidental and purely not for moneymaking-sake. Moreover, we had also agreed within and among ourselves not to sabotage the group and put the same in jeopardy, and must be open to each other and observe honesty and good faith. IT1 maintains a free and democratic principle; if one member wants to dismember him/herself, he is free to go according to his conscience.

Unfortunately, one of our former member who were also a founder of the group is now accusing us of spamming their site (Is Spamming the right term? Is it possible to spam a site? Isn’t the term “spamming” applies only for e-mail?). For the purpose of this statement, we will name this person as MOMOY.

And so, since IT1 is not purely a business entity but rather a service-oriented group, it was agreed upon that in any case that IT related materials is needed from MOMOY, IT1 shall acquire and recommend the products to our clients that to the same be supplied from MOMOY.
Months passed by since we have organized our group but still we haven’t bought our domain www.it1.com.ph. MOMOY, who was assigned to register our domain, hasn’t accomplished this task because, according to him, he was in a hectic schedule doing his (‘own’) business. Months passed by, still our site was not yet running. Later on, we’ve known that MOMOY decided to quit IT1 to create his own IT related services as extension of his E-commerce business. But glad to say, it’s not a loss to our group since we’ve added two (2) members who played a vital role for the progress of IT1.

Lately, their site is not doing well; few bugs were discovered because their site is OPEN SOURCE, and worst of all they accuse us of bringing down their site. First, they said that we are hacking their server’s database, secondly we are sending bunch of emails. Lastly, they alleged that, we are “SPAMMING” their site. (Take note: spamming is receiving multiple e-mails from unknown users; again, is ‘spamming’ the right term for this?).

Now, the following are the official the arguments of the Group (IT1)...
As regards to the email, show us the print screen output of that mail that you have allegedly said that we’ve sent unto your site. And for your information (FYI), we haven’t sent any emails, it is a waste of time and we have no time for such erroneous acts since we are busy to hear the positive responses of our dearest friends and customers who believed in our dedicated, faithful, and reliable service for them.

Secondly, it should be noted that their server is running 100 MBPS (Megabits per second), whooaahhh, really fast! THEY (together with MOMOY) said that there are three (3) attacks coming from the three (3) members of IT1. They argued that one of the attacks came from our poor dial-up user with an Internet running on with the maximum speed of 56 KBPS (Kilobit per second). Further, according to them, the other two (2) are both DSL in which their computer is running with the speed of 256. If we total them all, here is the computation:

(2) (256) kbps = 512 (kbps)
+ (1) (56) kbps = 56 (kbps)
__________________________
568 (KBPS)

The table above clearly manifests that even if those allegedly “three,” attacks with the full throttle against their server, they can’t still surpass the speed of 100MBPS (100,000 kbps) in order to put that server down.

Allow us to give all of you a brief discussion on how to put a server down; one of the commonly used methods is the DDOS or the packet attack. All you need to do is to gather a thousand of computers and put a ping command, “pinging” the site that you want to attack (this has happened to Microsoft early this year). Most hackers do it by simply creating a virus that works as a “pinger” and spreads the virus from one computer to another until it reaches for more than a thousand victims pinging one site. In this case, it is really hard to trace the source of such virus because of the thousands of IP’s pining unto the site.

Again, it should be noted that in order to put 100MBPS down, you must surpass the 100MBPS. It will need thousands of dial-up users or hundreds of DSL users IN FULL FORCE to put a 100MBPS server down. Full force means full power of your network.

THEY have concluded that the attack came from those three (3) computers from our members because the IP registered was ours (of IT1). Allow us again to first give you another discussion about IP’s.

All computers, which are connected to the Internet, have their own IP address. If you are a dial-up user, your IP changes every time you’ll connect to the Internet, and if you’re DSL and your IP is not static, then your IP changes every time you connect to DSL. IP can be easily traced, that is why most IT expert uses Proxy IP’s so that you can’t be easily traced. Using Proxy’s has pros and cons. One of the advantages (pros) is that, if you’re the good guy, hackers can’t attack directly into your computer and they’ll me misguided to another computer owning that IP. The con is, if you’re the bad guy and hack something, you can’t be traced because you’ll be misguided to another computer. IP can easily be spoofed. Anyone can use another IP to hide ones computer’s information easily.

Contrary to the aforementioned discussions, they immediately assumed that all of those attacks came from IT1 without properly and professionally dealing it on their level. This is because, according to them, the IP’s registered on their logs belong to us (in which case they haven’t showed us the print screen output of those logs). The question is, how can we have fix IP since our IP changes every time we connect to the internet? It is also impossible that such accusation holds water since our internet resource is normal. Based on our firewall, we haven’t flooded their site. We have a print screen output of the logs to support our claim that their accusations are contrary to what has been occurring.

They contended that IP’s never lies, fixed and can’t be changed nor spoofed. They also contended that Print Screen output may lie; logs and internet resource monitor may also lie. Always remember that IP’s can easily be fooled by using a proxy or BNCs. On the other hand, logs, internet resource monitor, and print screen output never lies.

Until now, they haven’t showed us the print screen output of the logs proving that the attack really belongs to us. We have the print screen output of the logs and of our conversations at that time showing that we did nothing.

In criminal law, it is the burden of the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt, in which case they can’t prove it because it is a hoax (or trick); a simple practical joke only aimed to discredit IT1’s good reputation in order that their services offered as extension of their e-commerce business will succeed. Clearly, this is an evil approach, more than that of a "Machiavellian strategy".

We believe that these accusations are intended to defame our integrity and dignity in order to put our group down.

If these accusations and defamatory words shall continue, we shall be forced to institute appropriate legal action against those who intend to impugn our dignity.

“Art. 353. Definition of libel. — A libel is public and malicious imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or circumstance tending to cause the dishonor, discredit, or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the memory of one who is dead.”

We further believe that the truth will always prevail and before we rest this case, we dare you, who accuse us, to inscribe your allegations in a sworn statement that you are really sure and you have reliable evidence that we have done the hacking into your site and prepare for a legal action against us. But be sure to prove the same beyond reasonable doubt, otherwise, we shall institute a criminal case of perjury against you (MOMOY) and your accomplice.

Information Technology One [IT1]