Thursday March 15 2:11 PM ET Hackers Bombard Italy's Top Online Trading Site

MILAN (Reuters) - University hackers attacked Italy's largest online trading Web site to protest against plans to boost the role of the Internet in government on Thursday -- but the site's owners said they had limited disruption.

Protesters at three Italian universities said they had bombarded Fineco Online, part of Brescian bank Bipop-Carire (BIP.MI), with simultaneous connections to try to crash the site near the end of another volatile day on European bourses.

The protest coincided with an international meeting in Naples aimed at expanding the role of so-called e-government.

``The action went very well. We blocked the site for the last 20 minutes (of trading),'' said one of the protestors in Naples, asking not to be identified.

Fineco acknowledged the attack but denied any problems for investors enjoying a recovery in battered global markets.

``Activity was absolutely normal all day. We made up 16 percent of Milan bourse volume, which is our average,'' a spokesman said.

``In the last 20 minutes we saw interference from the University of Naples and then we limited the connection.''

The protesters' spokesman said Fineco had been singled out as a symbol for Italians of the financial power of the Internet.

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010315/wr/government_protest_dc_1.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), March 15, 2001