My other question is WHY?
Is it mainly for profit or is it anti-Americanism?
The short answer is Yes to both.
Many bored hackers just want to see what they can do. Some want to steal identities and make quick cash. Some want to hijack a PC so they can control it later, using it as a node in a network, as in a bot net, a network of robots. And some fear that there are nationally sponsored efforts by foreign countries to figure out how to infiltrate U.S. and other nations' network infrastructure, banking systems, government institutions, etc... to bring them all to a screeching halt in times of war.
One of these days, real bad stuff will happen to the internet, and just like when a natural disaster causes people to overload the cell phone system and ZERO emergency calls get through, the country will panic when there is ZERO internet traffic getting through.
I know most folks here know how intertwined the internet is in our daily lives, but just think what would happen if all internet traffic stopped.
No on-line banking.
No on-line bill paying.
Your automated payments will not go out either, so you will be past due.
Your voice over IP will not work.
Your cell phones will not work.
Grocery stores will not be able to order re-stock, let alone sell you what they have in stock.
Walmart will be closed.
No gas pumps, either.
Mass hysteria will follow within days. Looting, shooting, and rebooting...
Not a pretty picture, but not our of reality, either.
