The clandestine hacker group known as Anonymous has been quite busy lately.
Yesterday we discussed how the group's myriad operations might be affecting its overall impact - something an alleged member quickly countered in the comment section. Now we're hearing new reports that the secretive members are focusing on military personnel in addition to the corporate executives they've long battled.
The New York Daily News wrote about Anonymous' renewed efforts, citing a post at DailyKos. The statement made by Barrett Brown read, "The decision to charge Bradley Manning with a capital offense in addition to other charges is a provocation, and Anonymous is set to respond accordingly."
Bradley Manning is the U.S. Army soldier charged with passing on classified, top-secret information to whistleblower site, WikiLeaks. More charges were recently added, including "aiding the enemy." Manning faces life in prison if convicted.
In the past, Anonymous stood up for the controversial site created by the controversial man Julian Assange, going so far as to launch DDoS attacks against companies fighting against it - such as MasterCard. While the hacker collective promised to continue fighting against "corporate execs involved in plots against WikiLeaks," its threat against the U.S. military for arresting and jailing Manning is certainly a new wrinkle in the ongoing story.
What type of cyber attack will be launched, and against whom? The statement specifies "military officials," which suggests officers and other high ranking members.
Considering Anonymous' recent shutdown of HBGary, a security company which saw CEO Aaron Barr resign last week thanks to a truly bizarre saga, there are no doubts the group will follow through with its promise. Just how much chaos it will cause is unknown.
