"Defensive" BGP hijacking?

Tue Sep 13 18:47:56 UTC 2016

> On Sep 13, 2016, at 12:22 AM, Bryant Townsend <bryant at backconnect.com> wrote:
> 
> *Events that caused us to perform the BGP hijack*: After the DDoS attacks
> subsided, the attackers started to harass us by calling in using spoofed
> phone numbers. Curious to what this was all about, we fielded various calls
> which allowed us to ascertain who was behind the attacks by correlating
> e-mails with the information they provided over the phone. Throughout the
> day and late into the night, these calls and threats continued to increase
> in number. Throughout these calls we noticed an increasing trend of them
> bringing up personal information of myself and employees. At this point I
> personally filled a police report in preparation to a possible SWATing
> attempt.  As they continued to harass our company, more and more red flags
> indicated that I would soon be targeted. This was the point where I decided
> I needed to go on the offensive to protect myself, my partner, visiting
> family, and my employees. 

I think you're saying that the BGP hijack wasn't done in as part of an attempt to
mitigate a DDoS, rather that you used the tools you had available
to go on the offensive in response to phone calls you received. Am I reading
that right?

Cheers,
  Steve