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Amazon ‘protect WikiLeaks’ from web attacks

As 'hackers' continue to attack WikiLeaks, the controversial website turns to Amazon's US servers for help.

WikiLeaks said that on Tuesday it was the target of a denial of service attack that overwhelmed its website and made it inaccessible for a several hours. The site also claimed to have been attacked on Sunday shortly before releasing the cables.

In order to protect themselves from further attacks WikiLeaks are now using Amazon’s 'server-for-rent' service which can provide stability if WikiLeaks are attacked again.

Amazon are yet to comment on the story.

The news that Amazon has sold its services to the whistleblowing website has turned a few heads but experts say that it is unlikely they will face legal action.

Jonathan Zittrain, a professor of law and computer science at Harvard University said that, "now that the information disclosed by the site is already public, it might not be considered, contraband.

Eben Moglen, a law professor at Columbia University, said the location of hardware can make a difference legally, but there wouldn’t be much point in getting Amazon to stop providing services to WikiLeaks. “For all practical purposes"¦if the law is unfavorable, that Web server process will go somewhere else,” he said.

What do you think? Does it matter that Amazon are allowing WikiLeaks to use their servers?

Source: WallStreetJournal

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An absolute tech junky, I graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in Computing and now live on the outskirts of Leeds working with you guessed it, Computers. I love all things gadgety but really dislike wires. For those of you who haven’t worked it out the name of the site is a combination of my nickname (Gaj) and the pronunciation ‘Gadget’.
UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping
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