October 2016 cyber attack

Preparation

 * CIA reportedly plans to launch a cyberattack against Russia - Mariella Moon, engadget, October 15, 2016
 * ''The United States is preparing to launch an unprecedented cyber attack against Russia, according to NBC News. Sources told the publication that the White House asked the CIA to present it with several "clandestine" cyber operation tactics that the administration can choose from. The cyber strike's purpose? To get back at Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin for allegedly interfering with the country's elections.
 * The looming spectre of cyberwar with Russia - Violet Blue, engadget, October 21, 2016
 * ''In the world of cyber (as in security), the question of the week seems to be, "Are we going to cyberwar with Russia?"
 * ''White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest thinks so. A week after President Obama singled out Russia as being responsible for cyberattacks on targets including the Democratic National Committee, Earnest said in a briefing that the administration would be serving a "proportional" response to Putin and the gang.

Attack

 * Internet Attack Spreads, Disrupting Major Websites - Nicole Perlroth, The New York Times, October 21, 2016
 * ''“We don’t know who is doing this, but it feels like a large nation-state. China and Russia would be my first guesses.”
 * ''This month the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, and the Department of Homeland Security accused Russia of hacking the Democratic National Committee, apparently in an effort to affect the presidential election. There has been speculation about whether President Obama has ordered the National Security Agency to conduct a retaliatory attack and the potential backlash this might cause from Russia.
 * ''Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said on the NBC News program “Meet the Press” this month that the United States was prepared to respond to Russia’s election attacks in kind. “We’re sending a message,” Mr. Biden said. “We have the capacity to do it.”
 * There's a major problem with the internet that's preventing websites from loading - Kif Leswing, Business Insider, October 21, 2016
 * DNS Cyber Attack Returns As Northeast Internet Traffic Grinds To A Crawl For Second Time - ZeroHedge, October 21, 2016
 * Third Wave Of Internet Cyber Attacks Lauched, Dyn Warns - ZeroHedge, October 21, 2016
 * Chinese Firm Says Its Cameras Were Used to Take Down Internet - Bloomberg News, October 24, 2016

The bot

 * The Inevitability of Being Hacked - Andrew McGill, The Atlantic, October 28, 2016
 * ''We built a fake web toaster, and it was compromised in an hour.

Media Coverage

 * Massive cyber hack that floored Amazon, Twitter, HBO and Reddit could be 'practice for election day': Wikileaks supporters among those claiming responsibility for massive security breach - and many fear it is just a warm-up - "Daily Mail", October 22, 2016
 * American vigilante hacker sends Russia a warning - CNN News, October 22, 2016
 * Rusvesna: Russian FM did not notice that anything at all happened, October 23, 2016