It's just brute force. It's not like they're sneaking into the site and disabling the web server. They're just assaulting it from the front until it cracks under the pressure. In other words, they're taking down the site, but they're not gaining access to any of the source or data in the site, or gaining control over the servers.

ahhh. i thought they gained access, etc.. thanks for the clarification.

Take HN commenters' infosec analysis with a large grain of salt. Their assumption is that everyone is a script kiddie, especially Anonymous. Even if there is a call for a DDOS, infiltration and gained access could likely precede or follow as a supplement to the attack.

Let us not forget that DOS attacks present potential for man-in-the-middle attacks. Its a perfect cover for their real hacking teams to infiltrate and gather further intelligence.

Indeed. There are very few sites that can hold up to even a blunt hammer like LOIC.