On November 17th, 2015, a video uploaded by a group of hacktivists has become viral and widely shared among media and internet users. The video is a declaration from the Anonymous, a hacking collective, to fight back against the Islamic State who has claimed that they are behind the terrorism in Paris last Friday.
“Hello citizens of the world, we are Anonymous. The aftermath on Friday, November 13th 2015, France is shocked by the terrorism in the capital. We first have to express our sorrow and solidarity to the victims, the injured and their family. To defend our values and our freedom, we’re tracking down the terrorist group responsible for this attack. We will do all the necessary to end their actions. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.”
Anonymous is an international network of cyber activists which has become known broadly for creating denial-of-service (DDoS) attack - in other words hacking the internet system of governmental and well established organisations websites. These hacking activists was first active 2008. There was a series of action including pranks and hackings targeting at a religious movement called Church of Scientology
According to what the group claim, the determination of the Anonymous is aimed to preserve the rights in freedom of speech. The most significant signature of this network is Guy Fawkes mark which its spokespersons always wear every time they appear on public media. One of the most stunning attack of the group occurred also occurred after a terrorism in France in the same year. After Charlie Hebdo attacks in January, the group attacked extremist websites and bring down thousands of ISIS twitter accounts.
Regarding to the most recent tragedy in Paris, they launched a video on YouTube stating that “these attacks cannot be left unpunished. We will launch the biggest operation ever against you. War has been declared. Prepare yourselves.” The video was uploaded on November 14th 2015 and now there was 4,600,000 people watching it. So far, there is no update reporting what methods of digital attack these marked hacktivists will apply recently.
The Anonymous network has spread out loosely throughout the world. A month ago, this hacking collective also announced the cyberwar against the Thai government’s campaign to consolidate a single internet gateway. To strike against this project, CAT Telecom Plc which is a state-own company’s website was targeted and has been took down offline for couples of hours. Later, Anonymous’s statement on Twitter claimed the incident was its responsibility.
In 2012, Times Magazine listed Anonymous as one of the most 100 influential people of the world. Despite the broad acceptance of the group, it’s still controversial issue of what criteria to judge right or wrong. Several hackers have been accused of involvement with Anonymous cyberattacks and arrested.
