An article on automated securities trading has been posted on Ars Technica. Much like the medical radiation article I posted last week, this is an excellent example of what happens when we outsource our responsibilities to technology. This time, a single errant mouse click led to a denial-of-service attack against the NYSE and a $150k fine for the good people at Credit Suisse.
“The messages clogged the tubes and caused parts of the exchange to freeze up, affecting trading in 975 stocks. ”
Holy crap! The internet is a series of tubes!
Well, it’s not something that you just dump things on, like a truck.