Mon Mar 11 14:15:48 PST 2002 — Server pool upgraded to use SYN cookies. Both our mail servers and web servers have been upgraded to resist a kind of attack called “SYN floods.” This is an attack where the attacker tries to open hundreds, if not thousands, of connections to our servers, which can result in denial of service. Following some anti-spam actions, we have seen an increase in these types of attacks on our web servers — apparently, we’ve ticked off some spammers who are now trying to “make us pay.” They will not succeed. -Kelsey, Nathan, and Scott