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Typo Takes Out Internet for Swedes
Monday night, all of Sweden lost access to the Internet, thanks to a problem that arose during routine maintenance of the country's top-level domain, .se (like .com or .us in the U.S.).The root of the issue was an improperly configured script (or set of commands) used to update the .se zone. When Sweden's Internet Infrastructure Foundation investigated the cause, it found that the error in the configuration was a simple typo; someone had left a period off the end of a DNS record. DNS is the system responsible for turning Web names like Switched.com into a machine-readable IP address.
Thanks to this missing period, Sweden's entire DNS-lookup system failed, taking all .se sites offline and preventing residents from accessing the Web. The error in the script was found and fixed within an hour, but it took nearly 24 hours for the update to trickle throughout the country's network. This is due to the fact that DNS information is often cached locally and only updated periodically by Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
The whole episode just serves as a reminder of how fragile our Internet ecosystem is. This little dot -- . -- took out an entire country's Web connection. Imagine what a larger typo or concentrated cyber-attack could do. It also puts our list of "expensive" typos in context. Who cares about a few thousand dollars when there's no Internet on which to spend it? [From: CNET and Betanews]
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Comments
13
Subscribe to commentsNancyOct 14th 2009 3:11PM
Is this payback for giving Obama the Nobel Peace Prize in the same week he authorizes troop surges and signs the probably death warrant for more American kids?
colcamOct 14th 2009 3:57PM
Why would someone take out Sweden when a group in Norway gave Obama a prize?
IonOct 14th 2009 4:00PM
A Norwegian committee selects the winner for the Nobel Peace Prize, not Swedish.
rhino45411Oct 14th 2009 5:38PM
Nancy... You are so smart. Don't mind the sarcasm...
Laura JuneOct 14th 2009 4:24PM
I sure could go for some Swiss chocolate.
MaureenOct 14th 2009 4:46PM
Ah, the smallest puncutation mark can topple a technology giant. There's a lesson here somewhere.
MJLOct 14th 2009 5:44PM
What is wrong with you people???
The Nobel Peace Prize?? NORWAY
Swiss Chocolate?? Hello!!! SWITZERLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What the hell do these things have to do with Sweden?
Why are Americans so damn uneducated? It is embarrassing...
mccarthy9022Oct 14th 2009 7:33PM
yo mjl it is a freakin joke you uneducated ass@@@@
SandiOct 14th 2009 5:50PM
It's bad enough making a typo on one of these blogs. Wouldn't I hate to be the one to make THAT typo?!?
BLAHOct 14th 2009 6:53PM
Syntax is a bitch! I was setting up a SQL Database for my office and mistakenly capped when all the other's were . Software is linked with the SOAP Note and Billing software so when employees tried to find appointment dates or previous SOAP documents the search would bring back an error because the G Damn syntax of . Freaking programming syntax has to be perfect or the simplest cap of a letter or misplacement of a symbol will effect the command/program.
Jm2DreamOct 14th 2009 7:01PM
Norway and Sweden and Switzerland are probably all the same country, not like they matter anyway, all other counries suck compared to USA! USA! USA! Anyone who disagrees with me is gay.
tkayphdOct 14th 2009 10:50PM
Who in the world would design a program in which the absence of one period could bring an entire country's system crashing down? Hopefully they do not design airplanes as well.
FranOct 14th 2009 8:01PM
Imagine? Imagine? Imagine what a blessing it would be! Hey! You evil little hackers out there. If you're going to hack something, how about the IRS,starting with those SS#s beginning with 321 would be great!? Then move on to, oh! I don't know, AIG maybe or BOA? How about GM/Ford...no! no! Wait after you give a much deserved thrashing to the IRS, then head for the Holdings of every Major Oil Company ANYWHERE on Earth. Then you can come back & start in on AIG, et al. Let's see.. don't forget the Major Insurance Companies , Hospitals, & Pharmaceutical Companies. We've been held hostage in every aspect of our lives for long enough now...time to deliver a little payback, don't you think?
So here we are again @ Imagine. Boy! Can I.