A hacking contest that will award points for breaking into web servers and scrawling digital graffiti over commercial web pages could disrupt normal internet traffic, according to a computer security firm. The contest is scheduled to take place on Sunday 6 July, says US company Internet Security Systems (ISS), with points being awarded for each individual web site that is defaced. Bonus points will be given for cracking sites that run on software and hardware with a better security record. First prize will be awarded to the hacker or hacking group that scores most points while attacking a maximum of 6000 sites. Gunter Ollman, a UK consultant for ISS says preparations for the event appear to be underway. "There's been a lull in public defacements but a massive increase in pre-attack scanning," he told New Scientist. There are many of these contests, he adds, but this one has generated an unusually great amount of interest. Full article on New Scientist Defacers Challenge site at www.defacers-challenge.com