'We Struggle Not Against Flesh and Blood': Catholic Online, Victim of a Cyber Attack

Catholic Online experienced a deliberate and sophisticated cyber terrorism attack. A malicious code was sent into the ad servers through third party software by sophisticated cyber terrorists intent on shutting Catholic Online down.They targeted the articles on Catholic Online and the operational integrity of the ad servers.

CHESAPEAKE, VA (Catholic Online) - It was quite a weekend. On the Lord's Day, when I am privileged as a deacon to serve the priest at the altar and usually enjoy a day of rest with my family, I was glued to my laptop. I experienced a series of attacks from computer viruses and malware. These attacks were nearly impossible to remove.

It took the patient assistance of one of my grown sons (I was anything but pleasant through the ordeal), continual coaching from a good friend and intense, persevering prayer. It also took the entire evening to remove the multiple viruses and malware which had ended up on my laptop. It is at that laptop that I do most of my writing and editing work.

It turns out the attack this weekend was not confined to my laptop. Catholic Online experienced what we now know was a deliberate cyber terrorism attack. I simply suffered one of the bad repercussions. This is not the first time Catholic Online has been the victim of this kind of virulent, intentional effort to impede its work. This time, malicious code was deliberately and fraudulently sent into its ad servers by cyber terrorists clearly intent on shutting Catholic Online down.
 
Catholic Online is organized as a for profit limited liability company. This is intentional. Catholic Online will not be impeded from speaking and defending the truth in the midst of what Pope Benedict XVI rightly called a "Dictatorship of Relativism". A for profit company structure gives us the maximum freedom. This cyber attack this weekend was very serious. Whoever was behind it has tried before without success. I am happy to report that by the grace of God and with the skill of a truly outstanding team in California, they did not succeed this time.

Please stand with Catholic Online by giving to the CYBER ATTACK DEFENSE FUND: https://www.catholic.org/donation/
 
However, the work involved in repairing the damage caused by such a cyber attack is very costly. The perpetrators targeted the ad servers of Catholic Online for two reasons. First, because it is the source of the revenue it takes to run Catholic Online. Catholic Online is run on the income derived from ad sales. Second, because Catholic Online has to rely on Third Party Software to protect those ad servers.  Whoever was behind this attack was strategic and sophisticated in their effort and knew this. They also wanted to silence the message and the messenger.
 
In the midst of trying to eradicate the viruses on my laptop this weekend, my youngest son made an instructive comment. I was reminded of it this morning as I prayed for the people in California who had to be awakened in the wee hours of the morning to fix these serious problems. I kept expressing my utter shock that my laptop was invaded by these enemies of this work; after all, I had "all the proper defensive software" and "this was not supposed to happen"! He simply looked at his aging father and  said, "Welcome to the Wild West of the Internet, Dad. Especially, with what you so often write about, you should learn to expect it."
 
Hmmm...smart kid!

Last Thursday, October 21, 2010, I read an article by Peter Wallsten in the Wall Street Journal online edition entitled "Cyber Attack Strikes FreedomWorks." It began with these words "A mysterious cyber attack apparently struck the computer servers at the pro-tea party group "FreedomWorks" this morning, just as it launched a major fund-raising drive. FreedomWorks officials are investigating, but they suspect they were attacked deliberately, perhaps by a political opponent seeking the thwart its fund-raising efforts."

Well, it appears that cyber attacks are now a part of the landscape for anyone who wants to speak truth in an age given over to lies and political correctness. The perpetrators of this attack specifically targeted the articles on Catholic Online. They obviously do not like the content of what we are writing. Our readers know we do not back down from addressing what some consider to be "controversial" issues such as defending authentic marriage and the family and society founded upon it; defending the dignity of every human life at every stage of development and defending the first freedom, religious freedom and the right of the Church to proclaim the fullness of truth in this current age. Rest assured, we will not.
 
This morning I was also reminded of St. Paul's exhortation to the early Christians in his letter to the Ephesians:
 
"Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.
 
"Therefore, put on the armor of God that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace.
"In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit." (Eph. 6: 10 - 18a)
 
Spiritual warfare is a part of the Christian life. Cyber attacks are simply a new theatre of operations.  Cyber Terrorism takes it to a whole new level! We do not normally report on the efforts to shut down Catholic Online. However, they are multiplying both in number, and sophistication, and your help is needed and needed right now. That help can take the form of prayer and financial assistance. Both are needed.  Please stand with us!

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Please note that gifts to Catholic Online ARE NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Once again, that is because Catholic Online is a organized as a for profit limited liability company to preserve our absolute right to speak truth to power without the possibility of retribution in the form of the removal of a non-profit standing.  In practical terms many who serve in the cause of Catholic Online do so without compensation, or where they are paid, at a reduced compensation to similar secular pursuits. Not complaining, just the facts. 

This type of sacrificial service is a part of many Catholic missionary efforts. However, most of those efforts are not subject to these types of attacks. Now, with these kinds of cyber terrorism attacks, the financial resources needed for Catholic Online to continue to address the issues of the day without compromise are seriously affected.  It is immediately necessary to expend additional capital in hardware, software, and staffing to protect the more then 5M pages of content and resources on the site as well as the hundreds of new articles featured every week. You can make all the difference.
 
Please stand with Catholic Online by giving to the CYBER ATTACK DEFENSE FUND: https://www.catholic.org/donation/

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