One should always have a second line of defense to fall back on. If search.cpan.org is down, as it can be from time to time, go somewhere else, such as Randy Kobe's most excellent CPAN search site.

As to why, well, it's an ugly world and shit happens.

update: it's not just CPAN that may be attacked, any site, including perlmonks may one day disappear of the face of the net. Read the strange tale of Gibson Research Corporation's Denial of Service. So just be nice to the 13 year old newbie who posts in the CB...