As Anonymous embarks on a cyberwar against terrorism, David Crookes looks behind the mask of the controversial hacktivist group
What is Anonymous?
Anonymous is one of a number of high-profile, headline-grabbing, online activist groups. It uses computers and the internet for anti-authoritarian purposes as it seeks to affect social and economic change, raise awareness of specific issues and oppose particular ideologies. Since it carries out its actions by breaking - or hacking - into computer systems, the word “hacktivism” has been coined to describe such behaviour.
What is it doing now?
The group is taking down the websites and social-media accounts of those acting on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (or Isis, as it is otherwise known). Anonymous has helped to remove more than 1,000 recruitment sites and deactivate 8,000 Twitter and Facebook accounts that spread Isis propaganda, and has become engaged in a cyberwar. As quickly as Anonymous has been taking down these Arabic-language accounts, Isis members have been reinstating them. But given that Isis relies heavily on the internet to share videos of killings and to spread its message, Anonymous has caused it a lot of disruption.
Who is behind Anonymous?
As the name suggests, members of Anonymous do not readily identify themselves. They sit behind their computers in locations around the world, often leading an online double life that even friends and family are unaware of. Since Anonymous isn’t actually one organisation but a global collective of hacktivist groups, it does not have a single leader or a hierarchal structure.
How many members does it have?
Anyone can use the name Anonymous if they want to, which makes it difficult to estimate numbers. But there are understood to be tens of thousands of members, each of whom is called an Anon. When a social or political situation arises, these individuals prepare for a virtual battle. The cumulative effect of so many people acting for a common cause can be devastating for the “victim”, hence the early slogan “none of us are as cruel as all of us”.
When did Anonymous form?
Anonymous arose from discussions in 2003 on the message board 4chan (www.4chan.org), which was originally launched for fans of anime and manga to post pictures. Most 4chan users do not change their usernames from the default ‘anonymous’ to their own, giving the hacktivist group a natural name because it’s rooted in internet subculture. After members engaged in pranks, threatened violence and cyber-attacked each other, a collective attitude emerged. The group then began to take on global problems.
When did it become properly active?
The group’s first act was to target the Church of Scientology in 2008. Anonymous was annoyed that the Scientologists had asked YouTube to remove a copyrighted video featuring Hollywood actor Tom Cruise. This led to accusations of internet censorship and, as well as releasing sensitive data into the public domain and bombarding the church with prank phone calls and faxes, Anonymous defaced the sites of local chapters and blocked access to them. It dubbed the attack 'Project Chanology.
What else has it done?
In 2010, Anonymous launched a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack against Aiplex Software, which itself was launching DDoS attacks against sites that were providing pirated software. This morphed into Operation Avenge Assange, a retaliatory campaign against the freezing of donations to WikiLeaks following the high-profile leak of documents regarding the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Avenge Assange attacked MasterCard and Visa, but it did not put customer data at risk. Since then, Anonymous has supported the Arab Spring movements (going as far as hacking the website of Tunisia’s Prime Minister) and led an offensive against the US Department of Justice for closing the file-sharing site Megaupload. It has also targeted websites hosting child pornography, hit out against homophobic organisations and recently threatened to expose paedophiles.
Does it ever draw the line?
Sometimes Anonymous states its hacktivist intentions; other times it denies accusations levelled against it. For example, Anons said “online thieves” were behind the attack on Sony’s PlayStation Network in 2011, adding: “No-one who is actually associated with our movement would do something that would prompt a massive law enforcement response”.
So are Anons ethical hackers or cybercriminals?
The answer very much depends on which side of the fence you sit on and, indeed, the question has been raised umpteen times over the years. Some people firmly believe Anonymous to be ethical hackers, but many governments and corporations regard them as cybercriminals. Numerous members have appeared in court, charged with attacks on computer systems, and both GCHQ and the US National Security Agency have considered members to be a potential threat. Commander X, real name Christopher Doyon, went on the run after bringing down a Californian county website over a law to target homeless sleepers, and fled to Canada. He quit Anonymous in September 2013, but not before saying the group should work non-violently for internet freedom and refrain from attacking media and infrastructure.
So what does Anonymous really stand for?
In an interview with Voice of Russia (which has since been rebranded 'Sputnik news agency and radio’, uk.sputniknews.com/voiceofrussia), a group spokesman said the organisation was for freedom of speech and information, protecting the internet and exposing corruption. Its tagline is: “Knowledge is free. We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.”
But are there rogue factions?
Groups which call themselves Anonymous and do not ally themselves with the collective’s ethics are swiftly tackled by the most stringent members but, as with any organisation of this kind, egos will surely reign and run riot from time-to-time. Those who have no ethical problem with destroying networks for personal gain are dubbed 'black hat hacktivists’. Anonymous likes to position itself as a group of white hat hacktivists, but it still operates outside the law to a large degree.
What's with the mask?
When Anonymous attacked the Church of Scientology, there were real-life demonstrations by hacktivists, too. Protestors wore a white Guy Fawkes mask, made popular in Alan Moore’s 1982 graphic novel V for Vendetta. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was seen wearing the distinctive mask during Occupy London Stock Exchange (occupylondon.org.uk) and it has become not only a symbol of rebellion, but also of the Anonymous movement, given that it hides the wearer’s identity.