 Scroll.in The threats to Scroll you didn’t know about Dear reader, Today, on International Press Freedom Day, we face a chilling reality. An attempt was made to silence us last week when Scroll’s website suffered a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack. This led to our website being down for hours. Simply put, a DDoS attack is a malicious attempt to take down a website or online service by overwhelming it with bad traffic. It's like flooding a highway with so many cars that legitimate traffic can't get through. The attack took down our server and our website. Don't be fooled by the technical jargon. This wasn't a random glitch. These attacks are aimed at silencing critical voices, at suppressing negative press, at manipulating the information you see, and ultimately, at weakening the power you hold as informed citizens. With polling for the Lok Sabha elections underway, we've been immersed in stories that are crucial in helping our readers cast their ballots responsibly. As part of Project Electoral Bond, we have shone a light on the ruling party's top donors, possible quid pro quo relationships between companies and political parties and the shadowy role of law enforcement agencies in this scheme, and much more. It took our engineering team a vast amount of resources to fight the attack. This was the second such attack in the last 30 days. There are ways to defend against DDoS attacks, but they can be complex and expensive. As a small, independent newsroom, we prioritise our funds for reporting and editorial functions. Such unexpected costs take a toll on our functioning and affect our ability to hold the powerful accountable. We are sharing this with you because we need your help. Become a Scroll member and invest in our future. Your support will help us defend ourselves against future attacks.  If you are already a member, you can upgrade your membership or even gift a subscription to friends or family members.  Your right to know, your right to be informed, is under attack. Let's defend it together. Sincerely, |
