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Earlier this week the Flu Wiki discussion forum, Flu Wiki 2, was offline due to a problem with the server. The server network SoapBlox had been hijacked by hackers and several servers, including the one that Flu Wiki 2 is installed on, were turned off to repair the software. This problem has been fixed and Flu Wiki 2 is back online intact. 
The FluWiki static site is a wonderful resource for information about all things pandemic:
"The purpose of the Flu Wiki is to help local communities prepare for and perhaps cope with a possible influenza pandemic. This is a task previously ceded to local, state and national governmental public health agencies. Our goal is to be:
Before the present threat of an avian flu pandemic, these tasks were formerly ceded to local, state, national and international public health agencies. But no one, in any health department or government agency, knows all the things needed to cope with an influenza pandemic. The world is filled with competent others who are likely to have credible and useful information about some aspect of each of these tasks. By pooling and sharing our knowledge, we hope to advance both preparation for and the ability to cope with events as they unfold....."
Flu Wiki Forum is a discussion forum that posts and debates current news, science, preparedness, and many topics regarding pandemic influenza and related issues.
Here is the release about yesterday's event on Flu Wiki 2:
<table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td>Network Outage
by: DemFromCT
Thu Jan 08, 2009 at 13:59:42 PM EST
</td> </tr> <tr> <td> From Tues-Wed there was a period of time the FW Forum and many other Soapblox sites were down. The following is a press release from Soapblox, which is a small operation, in it for the community.
SoapBlox Press Release on Yesterday's Event
more...
</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="theFlip"> DemFromCT :: Network Outage
</td> </tr> <tr> <td>
The FluWiki static site is a wonderful resource for information about all things pandemic:
"The purpose of the Flu Wiki is to help local communities prepare for and perhaps cope with a possible influenza pandemic. This is a task previously ceded to local, state and national governmental public health agencies. Our goal is to be:
- a reliable source of information, as neutral as possible, about important facts useful for a public health approach to pandemic influenza
- a venue for anticipating the vast range of problems that may arise if a pandemic does occur
- a venue for thinking about implementable solutions to foreseeable problems
Before the present threat of an avian flu pandemic, these tasks were formerly ceded to local, state, national and international public health agencies. But no one, in any health department or government agency, knows all the things needed to cope with an influenza pandemic. The world is filled with competent others who are likely to have credible and useful information about some aspect of each of these tasks. By pooling and sharing our knowledge, we hope to advance both preparation for and the ability to cope with events as they unfold....."
Flu Wiki Forum is a discussion forum that posts and debates current news, science, preparedness, and many topics regarding pandemic influenza and related issues.
Here is the release about yesterday's event on Flu Wiki 2:
<table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td>Network Outage
by: DemFromCT
Thu Jan 08, 2009 at 13:59:42 PM EST
</td> </tr> <tr> <td> From Tues-Wed there was a period of time the FW Forum and many other Soapblox sites were down. The following is a press release from Soapblox, which is a small operation, in it for the community.
SoapBlox Press Release on Yesterday's Event
more...
</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="theFlip"> DemFromCT :: Network Outage
</td> </tr> <tr> <td>
SoapBlox Press Release on Yesterday's Event
To all customers, bloggers, and media.
Starting on Tuesday, some of the SoapBlox servers were infiltrated by a currently unknown source for unknown reasons.
SSH access was acquired by the hackers, where they were able to install port scanning scripts on to the machines. SoapBlox servers were then being used to scan other servers across the Internet, looking for vulnerabilities.
The disruption of service was caused by our ISP disconnecting the affected servers when they became aware of the port scanning.
The attack was limited in scope, effecting 4 separate SoapBlox servers. While around 25 SoapBlox sites were offline, thousands of people were affected.
Steps are being taken now to identify who did this, and proper legal action will be taken. If you have any insight on to who perpetrated this attack, please let us know.
At this time, all services are returned to normal.
We have many wonderful people now volunteering to ensure this doesn't happen again. Clean servers are being created, and existing sites will be migrated shortly on to these more secure servers.
Discussions are currently underway on how to best provide the SoapBlox service, continually improve it, and keep it funded in a way that keeps everything running smoothly. Soon we will be establishing a way for you to help provide whatever you are willing to keep SoapBlox--and a large chunk of the progressive blogosphere--safe, secure and constantly improving.
Please monitor SoapBlox.net for future announcements, and feel free to contact us at soapblox@gmail.com with any ideas or suggestions you might have. Everything is on the table.
I apologize with all of my heart for the events of the past two days--from the lack of proper communication, to not seeking help that so many of you are willing to give earlier.
We've all invested so much time and effort in the software and communities, and I am nothing but humbled by the outpouring of support being given. It shows the true strength of the progressive blogosphere, and these events will lead to a stronger, better SoapBlox platform for all.
Paul Preston
President,
SoapBlox Network, Inc.
</td></tr></tbody></table>
To all customers, bloggers, and media.
Starting on Tuesday, some of the SoapBlox servers were infiltrated by a currently unknown source for unknown reasons.
SSH access was acquired by the hackers, where they were able to install port scanning scripts on to the machines. SoapBlox servers were then being used to scan other servers across the Internet, looking for vulnerabilities.
The disruption of service was caused by our ISP disconnecting the affected servers when they became aware of the port scanning.
The attack was limited in scope, effecting 4 separate SoapBlox servers. While around 25 SoapBlox sites were offline, thousands of people were affected.
Steps are being taken now to identify who did this, and proper legal action will be taken. If you have any insight on to who perpetrated this attack, please let us know.
At this time, all services are returned to normal.
We have many wonderful people now volunteering to ensure this doesn't happen again. Clean servers are being created, and existing sites will be migrated shortly on to these more secure servers.
Discussions are currently underway on how to best provide the SoapBlox service, continually improve it, and keep it funded in a way that keeps everything running smoothly. Soon we will be establishing a way for you to help provide whatever you are willing to keep SoapBlox--and a large chunk of the progressive blogosphere--safe, secure and constantly improving.
Please monitor SoapBlox.net for future announcements, and feel free to contact us at soapblox@gmail.com with any ideas or suggestions you might have. Everything is on the table.
I apologize with all of my heart for the events of the past two days--from the lack of proper communication, to not seeking help that so many of you are willing to give earlier.
We've all invested so much time and effort in the software and communities, and I am nothing but humbled by the outpouring of support being given. It shows the true strength of the progressive blogosphere, and these events will lead to a stronger, better SoapBlox platform for all.
Paul Preston
President,
SoapBlox Network, Inc.