[SSIlanya]

Law firm Gallant & Macmillan, which was threatened with a DDos attack by 4chan yesterday, appears to have disappeared from the internet. It is unclear whether the host disconnected the domain in advance of the attack or whether Gallant & Macmillan is now the latest company to be forced offline through traffic overload.

Anonymous group 4chan began waging war on copyright bodies and solicitors involved in accusing internet users of copyright infringement as part of what it described as a 'operation payback'.

A week ago on Friday, ACS:Law also became the victim of a DDoS attack by 4Chan and is now having to pick up the pieces after ACS:Law or its host inadvertently placed a backup of the content of ACS:Law's email repository on line.

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable.”

After disgruntled letter recipients mailed off a barrage of complaints to the Solicitors Regulatory Authority against ACS:Law owner Andrew Crossley, he told his advisor that not only did he “feel defeated” but that in his long-term interests it might be better if he “shut up shop”. Doing so, he explained, would bankrupt him.

Some people, particularly those of a resilient nature operating in the cut and thrust of big business, have a skill for letting nothing get to them. Or at least they give that impression. Up until recently ACS:Law owner Andrew Crossley was one of those guys.

Despite mounting criticism and the immense pressure of several hundred complaints about his company’s conduct delivered to the Solicitor’s Regulatory Authority, in public Crossley has remained strong. Defending his position at every available opportunity through media interviews and self-penned pieces, one might be forgiven for thinking that nothing could shake this man from his ‘turn piracy into profit’ crusade.

But behind closed doors, things were very different.

“I am worried about the latest developments. Apparently there are presently over 500 complaints against me thanks to the internet campaign and Which,” Crossley wrote to his advisor just over a month ago.