Rizon
{{Short description|IRC (internet relay chat) network}}
{{otheruses}}
{{Infobox IRC network
| name = Rizon
| image = 240px
| founded_on = {{Start date and age|2002|07}}
| located_in = Europe
Canada
United States
Asia
| based_in = Worldwide
| executive_board =
| website_url = {{url|rizon.net}}
| primary_dns = [irc://irc.rizon.net irc.rizon.net]
| average_users = {{IRC NQNS link|Rizon|9000}}
| average_channels = {{IRC NQNS link|Rizon|8000}}
| main_content = Public/Unrestricted
}}
Rizon is an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network. The IRC network itself ranks number 5 among the largest IRC networks.{{cite web
| url = http://irc.netsplit.de/networks/top100.php
| title = IRC Networks - Top 100
| access-date = 2011-11-15
| last1 = Piccard
| first1 = Paul
| last2 = Baskin
| first2 = Brian
| last3 = Edwards
| first3 = Craig
| last4 = Spillman
| first4 = George
| editor1-last = Sachs
| editor1-first = Marcus
| editor1-link = Marcus Sachs
| others = foreword by Kevin Beaver
| title = Securing IM and P2P Applications for the Enterprise
| edition = 1st
| date = 2005-05-01
| publisher = Syngress Publishing
| location = Rockland, Massachusetts
| isbn = 978-1-59749-017-7
| page = 371
| chapter = Internet Relay Chat—Major Players of IRC
}}
Rizon is popular with many anime fansubbing groups who work online, many of whom provide their content through XDCC via IRC bots in their distribution channels. It is also used by many users of eRepublik as a means of communication.{{cite book
| last1 = Piccard
| first1 = Paul
| last2 = Baskin
| first2 = Brian
| last3 = Edwards
| first3 = Craig
| last4 = Spillman
| first4 = George
| editor1-last = Sachs
| editor1-first = Marcus
| editor1-link = Marcus Sachs
| others = foreword by Kevin Beaver
| title = Securing IM and P2P Applications for the Enterprise
| edition = 1st
| date = 2005-05-01
| publisher = Syngress Publishing
| location = Rockland, Massachusetts
| isbn = 978-1-59749-017-7
| page = 387
| chapter = IRC Networks and Security
}}
File sharing of other copyrighted material such as Warez is also common in some channels on the network.{{cite book |last = Wang
|first = Wallace
|title = Steal this File Sharing Book
|edition = 1st
|date = 2004-10-25
|publisher = No Starch Press
|location = San Francisco, California
|isbn = 978-1-59327-050-6
|page = [https://archive.org/details/stealthisfilesha00wang/page/63 63]
|chapter = Instant Messaging and Online Chat Rooms
|quote = Three of the most popular networks used for file trading include Undernet, Rizon, and EFnet.
|chapter-url-access = registration
|chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/stealthisfilesha00wang/page/63
| last1 = Piccard
| first1 = Paul
| last2 = Baskin
| first2 = Brian
| last3 = Edwards
| first3 = Craig
| last4 = Spillman
| first4 = George
| editor1-last = Sachs
| editor1-first = Marcus
| editor1-link = Marcus Sachs
| others = foreword by Kevin Beaver
| title = Securing IM and P2P Applications for the Enterprise
| edition = 1st
| date = 2005-05-01
| publisher = Syngress Publishing
| location = Rockland, Massachusetts
| isbn = 978-1-59749-017-7
| page = 372
| chapter = Internet Relay Chat—Major Players of IRC
| author = Office of the United States Trade Representative
| author-link = Office of the United States Trade Representative
| title = National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, 2006
| edition = 21st
| date = 2006-04-21
| publisher = United States Government Printing Office
| isbn = 0-16-075976-5
| page = 256
|author = Office of the United States Trade Representative
|author-link = Office of the United States Trade Representative
|title = National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, 2006
|url = http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2006/2006_NTE_Report/asset_upload_file929_9220.pdf
|access-date = 2009-03-07
|date = 2006-03-31
|page = 263
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090114211508/http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2006/2006_NTE_Report/asset_upload_file929_9220.pdf
|archive-date = January 14, 2009
}}
Rizon IRCd
{{refimprove section|date=January 2012}}
Rizon currently uses Plexus IRCd. Plexus was coded specifically with Rizon in mind and is based on ircd-hybrid. Plexus is not exclusive to Rizon as the IRCd is also used by other networks. Plexus versions 1.x and 2.x were originally coded by static & peer. Plexus 3.x was rewritten by ThaPrince and is now maintained and developed by the Rizon Dev Team.
As of the r524 release, the ability for automatic services authentication using SSL client certificates has been implemented, and was largely based on the work done by OFTC {{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}, though significant changes were made regarding server-to-server communication.
Controversy
=DDoS attack against mIRCX=
{{refimprove section|date=January 2012}}
In early 2004 the mIRCX and Aniverse IRC networks were the victims of Denial-of-service attacks (DDoS) and were forced to shut down temporarily; Aniverse later resumed operations at a greatly reduced capacity. This in turn caused approximately 8,000–10,000 IRC users of various anime fansubbing channels to migrate to Rizon. Rizon was forced to increase its number of servers to handle the additional users. This also had the effect of making Rizon a target for DDoS attacks.
Contrary to rumors, Rizon had no part in a DDoS attack against mIRCX in 2004. Richard "Krashed" Roby was the actual perpetrator who initiated the attacks in retaliation against CJB networks for shutting down his botnet.{{cite web
| url = http://www.anime-planet.com/forum/faq-tutorials/2742-why-irc-mircx-shut-down.html
| title = Why irc.mircx was shut down
| access-date = 8 November 2015
| date = 20 February 2004
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120925224612/http://www.anime-planet.com/forum/faq-tutorials/2742-why-irc-mircx-shut-down.html
| archive-date= 25 September 2012
| url-status = dead
}}
Roby was later raided by the FBI as part of Operation Cyberslam.{{cite web
| url = http://www.securityfocus.com/news/9411
| title = FBI busts alleged DDoS Mafia
| access-date = 2009-03-02
| last = Poulsen
| first = Kevin
| author-link = Kevin Poulsen
| date = 2004-08-26
| publisher = SecurityFocus
| url = http://www.reverse.net/operationcyberslam.pdf
| title = UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. PAUL G. ASHLEY, JONATHAN DAVID HALL, JOSHUA JAMES SCHICHTEL, RICHARD ROBY and LEE GRAHAM WALKER
| access-date = 2009-03-02
| date = 2004-09-25
}}
Initial charges brought against Roby as part of Operation Cyberslam were dropped but he later pleaded guilty to lesser charges and was sentenced to an 18-month prison sentence.{{cite magazine
| url = https://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2005/09/68800
| title = Hackers Admit to Wave of Attacks
| access-date = 2009-03-02
| last = Poulsen
| first = Kevin
| magazine = Wired
| author-link = Kevin Poulsen
| date = 2005-09-08
| publisher = Wired News
| url = http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2006/05/hired_internet_gun_sentenced_t_1.html
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110516024155/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2006/05/hired_internet_gun_sentenced_t_1.html
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = May 16, 2011
| title = Hired Internet Gun Sentenced to Two Years
| access-date = 2009-03-02
| last = Brian
| first = Krebs
| author-link = Brian Krebs
| date = 2006-05-01
| work = Security Fix
| publisher = Washington Post
| url = http://easynetworknyc.com/features/article/14/
| title = FooNET/HTTPD/CIT updates and information
| access-date = 2009-03-02
}}
=DDoS attacks against rival networks=
On May 25, 2007, as part of Operation: Bot Roast conducted by the FBI, Rizon's founder, Jason Michael Downey aka "Nessun" was charged with using a botnet in 2004 to launch Denial-of-service attacks (DDoS) against other computer networks, including rival IRC networks such as IRCHighway.{{cite web
|url = http://www.spamsuite.com/book/export/html/150
|title = UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. D-1 JASON MICHAEL DOWNEY
|accessdate = 2009-03-02
|date = 2007-05-25
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080829104026/http://www.spamsuite.com/book/export/html/150
|archivedate = 2008-08-29
|url = http://www.irc-junkie.org/2007-10-27/nessun-goes-to-jail/
|title = Nessun Goes to Jail
|accessdate = 2009-03-02
|date = 2007-10-27
|publisher = IRC-Junkie.org
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20090223233024/http://www.irc-junkie.org/2007-10-27/nessun-goes-to-jail/
|archivedate = 2009-02-23
|url = https://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel07/botnet061307.htm
|title = Over 1 Million Potential Victims of Botnet Cyber Crime
|accessdate = 2009-03-02
|author = FBI National Press Office
|date = 2007-06-13
|work = Press Release
|publisher = Federal Bureau of Investigation
|quote = Jason Michael Downey of Covington, Kentucky, is charged with an Information with using botnets to send a high volume of traffic to intended recipients to cause damage by impairing the availability of such systems. (FBI Detroit)
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20090221123138/https://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel07/botnet061307.htm
|archivedate = February 21, 2009
}} {{cite web
| url = http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/06/fbi_announces_b.html
| title = FBI Announces Botnet Dragnet
| accessdate = 2009-03-02
| last = O'Brien
| first = Luke
| date = 2007-06-13
| work = Threat Level
| publisher = Wired News
| url = https://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/2007-06-13-fbi-arrests_N.htm
| title = FBI cracks down on 'bot herders'
| accessdate = 2009-03-02
| last = Acohido
| first = Byron
| date = 2007-06-13
| publisher = USA Today
}}
On June 20, 2007, Downey pleaded guilty in a US Federal court to operating a botnet "of up to 6,000 infected computers" and using it to launch DDoS attacks "From on or about June 18, 2004 through on or about September 5, 2004." Downey faced up to 24 months in prison and a fine of up to $40,000.
When asked his reasons behind performing the DDoS attacks, Downey explained to U.S. District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds that "I was doing it because I could, more than anything," and "It was a dumb thing to do."{{cite web
|url = http://www.irc-junkie.org/2007-06-26/nessun-because-i-could/
|title = Nessun: "Because I Could"
|accessdate = 2009-03-02
|date = 2007-06-26
|publisher = IRC-Junkie.org
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20090223222509/http://www.irc-junkie.org/2007-06-26/nessun-because-i-could/
|archivedate = 2009-02-23
}}
Downey was sentenced on October 23, 2007, to 12 months in prison for causing over $20,000 in losses and damages due to unlawful computer intrusion and was ordered to pay a total of $21,110 in damages to 3 companies that were affected by his DDoS attacks. After his release, Downey will have a probation term of 3 years with no computer access without prior permission and will have to perform 150 hours of community service.{{cite web
| url = http://www.ic3.gov/media/2007/071129.aspx
| title = "Bot Roast II" Nets 8 Individuals
| accessdate = 2009-03-02
| author = FBI National Press Office
| date = 2007-11-29
| work = Press Release
| publisher = Federal Bureau of Investigation
| quote = Downey operated Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network Rizon. Downey stated that most of the attacks he committed were on other IRC networks or on the people that operated them.
| url = http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9826489-7.html
| title = FBI's Operation Bot Roast II nets additional indictments, sentences
| accessdate = 2009-03-02
| last = Vamosi
| first = Robert
| date = 2007-11-29
| publisher = CNET News
|url = http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/12/17/50FE-busted-botmen_5.html
|title = True crime: The botnet barons
|accessdate = 2009-03-02
|last = Brandt
|first = Andrew
|date = 2007-12-17
|publisher = InfoWorld
|pages = 5
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080618051715/http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/12/17/50FE-busted-botmen_5.html
|archivedate = 2008-06-18
}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www.rizon.net}}
- [http://www.rizon.net/vbulletin/index.php Rizon Forums]
{{IRC NQ|Rizon}}
{{IRC networks}}