Recommended Free Tools
Change.org reported that a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack hit its site in April 2011 while it hosted a petition urging Chinese authorities to release artist Ai Weiwei. The organization said the traffic came from computers or IP ranges in China and suspected a connection to the campaign. That reported network origin did not identify who controlled those computers or prove that the Chinese government was responsible.
What happened to Change.org?
In April 2011, Change.org said a DDoS attack was overwhelming its website as a petition calling for Ai Weiwei’s release drew international support. A DDoS attack floods a site with requests from many computers, potentially making it slow or unavailable to ordinary visitors.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Network Security, Firewalls, and VPNs | $66.62 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Network Security, Firewalls, and VPNs: . (Issa) | $63.03 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
TP-Link ER605, Wired Gigabit VPN Router | $44.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Cybersecurity for Small Networks: A Guide for the Reasonably Paranoid | $33.18 | Buy on Amazon |
PCWorld reported on April 19 that attacks had begun late Sunday, April 17, and that the site had nearly been brought down. Change.org said the group of computers involved was expanding and primarily based in China. PCWorld’s April 19 report also quoted founder Ben Rattray saying, “It’s pretty clear the attack is in response to the campaign.” That was Rattray’s assessment of the suspected motive, not a publicly established forensic conclusion.
The following day, The Guardian reported that the site had been totally inaccessible for short periods. Rattray said staff appeared to have stabilized the platform. A later CSO Online report in June 2011 said the attack had nearly brought the site down for days. The available accounts do not establish a precise total downtime or quantify the attack traffic.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →#1 Best Overall
Why was the site targeted?
The attack coincided with a Change.org petition asking Chinese authorities to release Ai Weiwei, an artist detained in China. Change.org representatives said they suspected the campaign was the reason for the attack. On April 19, Rattray said, “We won’t stop or take down anything because of this DDoS attack.”
Campaign support grew during the incident, but contemporaneous and later reports gave figures from different dates and described them differently:
Rank #2
- Available with the Cloud Labs which provide a hands-on, immersive mock IT infrastructure enabling students to test their skills with realistic security scenarios
- New Chapter on detailing network topologies
- The Table of Contents has been fully restructured to offer a more logical sequencing of subject matter
- Introduces the basics of network security—exploring the details of firewall security and how VPNs operate
- Increased coverage on device implantation and configuration
| Reported figure | Source and context |
|---|---|
| Almost 100,000 people from 175 countries | Change.org founder Ben Rattray, as quoted by PCWorld on April 19, 2011. |
| More than 142,000 signatures | CSO Online, reporting in June 2011. |
These are snapshots from separate reports, not directly comparable counts: one describes people and countries at the time of the PCWorld article, while the other reports petition signatures in a later account.
Did China-based traffic prove who was responsible?
No. Change.org said the attack traffic came from computers primarily based in China. Its communications director, Benjamin Joffe-Walt, told Radio Free Asia on April 20 that initial probing and DDoS traffic came from China-allocated IP blocks. Those observations describe network indicators, not the identity of the people operating the machines.
Rank #3
- 【Five Gigabit Ports】1 Gigabit WAN Port plus 2 Gigabit WAN/LAN Ports plus 2 Gigabit LAN Port. Up to 3 WAN ports optimize bandwidth usage through one device.
- 【One USB WAN Port】Mobile broadband via 4G/3G modem is supported for WAN backup by connecting to the USB port. For complete list of compatible 4G/3G modems, please visit TP-Link website.
- 【Abundant Security Features】Advanced firewall policies, DoS defense, IP/MAC/URL filtering, speed test and more security functions protect your network and data.
- 【Highly Secure VPN】Supports up to 20× LAN-to-LAN IPsec, 16× OpenVPN, 16× L2TP, and 16× PPTP VPN connections.
- Security - SPI Firewall, VPN Pass through, FTP/H.323/PPTP/SIP/IPsec ALG, DoS Defence, Ping of Death and Local Management. Standards and Protocols IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3ab, IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.1q
As PCWorld cautioned, computers located in China could be controlled by people elsewhere. The reviewed reports do not establish who operated the computers, verify a government role, or provide a public forensic finding tying a particular actor to the incident. Describing this as an attack Change.org reported as originating from China is more accurate than stating that China or its government carried it out.
Was there an official investigation?
PCWorld reported that Change.org said the FBI and U.S. State Department were looking into the attack. CSO Online’s June follow-up also described U.S. government inquiries. The available reporting does not give a final public investigative finding or identify a verified perpetrator.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the available accounts establish—and leave open
- Established in contemporaneous reporting: Change.org reported a DDoS attack in April 2011 while hosting the Ai Weiwei petition, and the site was inaccessible for short periods and reported to have nearly been brought down.
- Reported by Change.org: the traffic came from computers or IP blocks associated with China, and the organization suspected a link to the petition.
- Not established in the reviewed accounts: the people controlling the computers, a Chinese government role, the attack’s traffic volume, precise total downtime, or a final official attribution.
The reports document the organization’s claims and the site’s reported disruption; they do not include a Change.org technical postmortem with detailed forensic indicators or mitigation methods.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
