Since midday today, and not for the first time, unknown assailants have been attacking Jihad Watch with a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack. It’s probably no surprise that this site is actually under continual attack, but today the attack has been significant in size. It’s not rocket science to carry out these attacks, but they are expensive in resources to carry out, and our adversaries have very deep pockets; you can actually rent a “bot net” by the hour.
We do employ a firewall which normally handles the constant, but more limited attacks quite well, but when we are bombarded as we have been today, we enable a system that checks if the viewer is a human, using a real browser by enforcing the use of JavaScript. The only problem that this causes is quite minor: it can spoil the way posts share on Facebook, but you can simply go to our Facebook page and share posts directly from there.
Some people do have Java Script disabled; here is a how to enable it so as to ensure that you never miss a JihadWatch post in the future.
(that the best way to handle java, is to use FireFox with the NoScript plugin, this allows you to select which sites you enable java for. It also stops most malware that’s doing the rounds.)
Internet Explorer
- On web browser menu click “Tools” menu and select “Internet Options”.
- In the “Internet Options” window select the “Security” tab.
- On the “Security” tab click on the “Custom level…” button.
- When the “Security Settings – Internet Zone” dialog window opens, look for the “Scripting” section.
- In the “Active Scripting” item select “Enable”.
- When the “Warning!” window pops out asking “Are you sure you want to change the settings for this zone?” select “Yes”.
- In the “Internet Options” window click on the “OK” button to close it.
- Click on the “Refresh” button of the web browser to refresh the page.
Internet Explorer 9
- On web browser menu click “Tools” and select “Internet Options”.
- In the “Internet Options” window select the “Security” tab.
- On the “Security” tab click on the “Custom level…” button.
- When the “Security Settings – Internet Zone” dialog window opens, look for the “Scripting” section.
- In the “Active Scripting” item select “Enable”.
- When the “Warning!” window pops out asking “Are you sure you want to change the settings for this zone?” select “Yes”.
- In the “Internet Options” window click on the”OK” button to close it.
- Click on the “Refresh” button of the web browser to refresh the page.
Mozilla Firefox
- In the address bar, type about:config and press Enter.
- Click “I’ll be careful, I promise” if a warning message appears.
- In the search box, search for javascript.enabled
- Toggle the “javascript.enabled” preference (right-click and select “Toggle” or double-click the preference) to change the value from “false” to “true”.
Mozilla Firefox v 23
- On the web browser menu click “Tools” and select “Options”.
- In the “Options” window select the “Content” tab.
- Mark the “Enable JavaScript” checkbox.
- In the opened “Options” window click on the “OK” button to close it.
- Click on the “Reload current page” button of the web browser to refresh the page.
Google Chrome
- On the web browser menu click on the “Customize and control Google Chrome” and select “Settings”.
- In the “Settings” section click on the “Show advanced settings…”
- Under the the “Privacy” click on the “Content settings…”.
- When the dialog window opens, look for the “JavaScript” section and select “Allow all sites to run JavaScript (recommended)”.
- Click on the “OK” button to close it.
- Close the “Settings” tab.
- Click on the “Reload this page” button of the web browser to refresh the page.
Apple Safari
- On the web browser menu click on the “Edit” and select “Preferences”.
- In the “Preferences” window select the “Security” tab.
- In the “Security” tab section “Web content” mark the “Enable JavaScript” checkbox.
- Click on the “Reload the current page” button of the web browser to refresh the page.
Opera
- 1. a) Click on “Menu”, hover mouse on the “Settings” then hover mouse on the “Quick preferences” and mark the “Enable JavaScript” checkbox.
- 1. b) If “Menu bar” is shown click on the “Tools”, hover mouse on the “Quick preferences” and mark the “Enable JavaScript” checkbox.
Opera v10
- On the web browser menu click “Tools” and select “Preferences”.
- In the “Preferences” window select the “Advanced” tab.
- On the “Advanced” tab click on “Content” menu item.
- Mark the “Enable JavaScript” checkbox.
- In the opened “Preferences” window click on the “OK” button to close it.
- Click on the “Reload” button of the web browser to refresh the page.
Champ ✿ says
Great tips! …thank you, Marc 🙂
RG says
Yes, thanks! I personally had Java disabled–didn’t realize its significance! Have been experiencing download issues with JW for some time now. You’d think my repair tech could have told me this. Thanks again!
marclouis says
it’s swings and roundabouts, many sites are unusable without Java enabled, that includes many google and Facebook features as i said below “Someone has just reminded me, that the best way to handle java, is to use FireFox with the NoScript plugin, this allows you to select which sites you enable java for. It also stops most malware that’s doing the rounds.”
Wellington says
I was blocked here for a while at JW, as I’m sure many others were today. Whenever this happens, I know that enemies of freedom have done this. Such enemies hide behind false accusations of Robert Spencer, JW, et al. as justification for what they do. Such “justification” is not legitimate, or ethical, or logical, or valid at all but rather evidence of fascist repression of free speech and fear of the truth.
Know that all of you who try to shut this website down are pathetic—–many times over. You elicit nothing but scorn from me as you do from so many others. You are killers of free speech if given the opportunity. You are no better than Nazis.
Stephen Poole says
… Certainly they are W … Most of the Nazis got strung up … Just sayin’ … SP OX …
marclouis says
Actually, very few were effected and couldn’t view the site, it was only people logged in to comment that seem to have been effected.
marclouis says
Someone has just reminded me, that the best way to handle java, is to use FireFox with the NoScript plugin, this allows you to select which sites you enable java for. It also stops most malware that’s doing the rounds.
Stephen Poole says
… When JihadWatch is under DDOS (… which it was for sure today …), just simply post your comment then exit your browser, then reload the site … Your comment will then come up, just as you intended … Just sayin’ … SP OX …
Stephen Poole says
… Even though I’m an intellectual moron … SP OX …
richard Sherman says
The people who do these acts revere the SOCIOPATH MUHAMMAD WHO PERSONALLY DECAPITATED 900 UNARMED JEWS in 627…so they are sociopaths just like Muhammad.
enwhitenment says
A desperate foe will use any tactic to survive.
Islam is in a desperate attempt to survive it’s imminent demise.
The power brokers & elite using the misguided teaching’s of islam are desperate to protect their positions of power & the wealth it brings.
Keep up the good JW these attacks show your enemies lack of confidence.
Defcon 4 says
Islam’s “imminent demise”? Huh? I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up on current events but islam has spread to every continent on earth (even the Arctic).
enwhitenment says
It is certainly a global problem & I understand that.
I am happy to replace “imminent” with “assured” and as one man can achieve in a day what another may achieve in a year then their imminent demise is assured.
Lisa England says
Robert: Maybe you should get CloudFlare, or something. That’s what most sites are doing to avoid being affected by DDOS attacks.
marclouis says
CloudFlare would have also used Java to mitigate, but they would have also used one of those Captchas we all hate.
Jerry says
Thanks,
I normally disable Java by default and only temporarily enable it for specific
sites or pages.
I did enable it temporarily for this page.
Good Bye
About to disable Java again – back to normal
There are still baddys who exploit Java for
evil purposes
veggiedog says
Working in an iPad there is no Java, but this begs to be asked, how we are monitored by reading this site. Remember if they do not like it they will try to scare or violate those that do.
Defcon 4 says
I just want to thank Marc Louis for defending Robert Spencer’s right to free speech from those who would take it away.
marclouis says
it’s a “no brainer” for me.
till the BBC, CNN and CBC start giving stories like this
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/03/egypt-muslim-brotherhood-protesters-drag-christian-woman-from-car-stab-her-16-times-strangle-her-to-death
more airtime to a gazan human shield getting broken, it’s what I will be doing.
gravenimage says
I’d also like to thank Marc Louis for all his hard work in keeping JW up and running!
marclouis says
Mostly up anyway 🙂 it’s been an education.
I’m afraid we are going to see a lot more of it
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=botnet+for+hire
dumbledoresarmy says
Bless you, mate.