Facebook confirms DoS attack same day as Twitter

Popular social-networking site Facebook was hit with a DoS (denial-of-service) attack Thursday, but the attack did not appear to be as severe as one that crippled Twitter the same day.

Facebook reported on its own Facebook profile Thursday that users may have had trouble accessing the site or its services because of the attack, but that the situation seemed well in hand by late morning in California, where the company is located.

Book review: Facebook tell-all shines harsh light on friendship

"We have restored full access for most people," the company reported. "We’ll keep monitoring the situation to make sure you have the reliable experience you expect from us."

Users reported that Facebook was not loading properly or could not be accessed early Thursday, but the site seemed to be working properly by late morning.

Facebook did not provide specifics about the attack or how it was handled, only providing a link to a Wikipedia entry with information about DoS attacks in its posting.

It's unknown if the attacks on Twitter and Facebook are linked. However, a source with knowledge of the situation said that the company is working with Google and Twitter to investigate the matter further. The source said there were reports Google's Blogspot site also had been hit with a DoS attack, although Google did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether this was indeed the case.

A DoS attack is an attempt to make a Web site or service unavailable to intended users by flooding the service or site with incoming data requests, such as e-mails. Motives for DoS attacks vary, but perpetrators mostly target companies with high-profile, highly trafficked Web sites. Hackers often have a financial or political motivation for such attacks.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.