Looks like it.

All interface servers seem to be down.

ESteem app useable?

Well, I'm trying to post using the ESteem app. But it is far from responsive the way it normaly is. SteemIt dot com is down and so seem other Steem related sites. Yet, I can still publish on the Steem blockchain, because it is decentralized. The data is available on many computers. And so the Steem blockchain will move on!

Now the question on many minds probably will be: "Why an attack?" Well there might be several reasons, one being: capital investment competition. With Steem roling out Smart Media Tokens it has a big potential of becoming a major market player. And if the developers manage to get multi-threading and tasking in, that will even create a bigger advantage over other blockchains.

There is a lot of money involved in the cryptos realm. And with a possible crypto market take over by the Steem Smart Media Token {SMT} a lot of ICOs on other platforms could lose their value fast. Could this be a reason for a massive attack on all Steem related servers. A lot of centraly orchestrated computers are needed to pull this off. Maybe too farfetched to think it is about competition.

To get money?

In a way that the attacks will stop if a certain price is payed. These attack networks mostly work with infected computers, drones. Many households and companies being unaware that their Windows (most of the times it is) computer is used as an attack drone. Meaning it got infected by remote control software. If they only had a good anti-virus scanner...

If this is a hostage DDOS attack than the attackers can only do it for a few hours. And repeat this at random intervals. With the main message: "Pay us and it will stop." Well, until who ever is behind it wants more money, or cryptos. This could be a possible scenario. However, still unlikely.

Politics and havoc.

Many times it seems just to be something like: "Because we can." Just ment to cause havoc. Many hosting providers have experienced it. Cryptos service companies know about it. It is like autumn having a storm now and then. It can cause economical damage, direct and indirectly.

And that could be for political reasons too. A group or a country might use a Distributed Denial Of Service {DDOS} attack to destabilize an important infrastructure. But why Steem? Freedom of expression on a decentralized blockchain that is getting mainstream attention? Could that be a threat for centralized control systems? Looks far fetched to me too.

A storm that will pass.

A DDOS attack just because it can be done. And there will be bragging about it. Just like it will be done over and over again. Or it might just have been a technical router problem. Anyway, it will pass and things will go back to the way it was again.

Have a great one!

Stay calm and enjoy your weekend.

Photo cc-by-sa @oaldamster