Hacker collective Anonymous has threatened to 'erase' the New York Stock Exchange from the Internet in support of the Occupy Wall Street protests in Manhattan.
In a warning posted on YouTube, Anonymous threatens to take down Nyse on 10 October.
"On October 10, Nyse shall be erased from the Internet," a computer-generated voice tells viewers. "On October 10, expect a day that will never, ever be forgotten."
The message exhorts supporters to use the Low Orbit Ion Cannon (LOIC) botnet to launch a Distributed Denial-of-Service attack against the Nyse's website on the target date.
However, the legitimacy of the message has been called into question by another group, also claiming to be part of the Anonymous movement, which posted a rebuttal on the AnonMessage YouTube channel.
We are Anonymous! Recently something very disturbing has come to our attention. You must take all notices and information claiming to be 'Anonymous' with a grain of salt. Consider EVERYTHING.
Operation Invade Wall Street is bulls***! It is a fake planted operation by law enforcement and cyber crime agencies in order to get you to undermine the Occupy Wall Street movement. It proposes you use depreciated tools that have known flaws such as LOIC.
Anonymous would never tell you to use LOIC-not after the arrests and failures of Operation Payback.
Anonymous wouldn't attack NYSE on a HOLIDAY-it is debatable if Anonymous would ever even attack NYSE.
Warring factions or counter-espionage plant? Whatever the truth, expect Nyse to have its defences primed on Monday, holiday or no holiday.