Anonymous, the hacking collective, has quickly become a household name all over the world. No one knows for sure how any members are part of this group, but we do know they have taken the fight to quite a few different platforms and companies over the years. In fact, Anonymous has been quite successful in their decentralized virtual hacking community strategy, as their actions speak much louder than words. Below are some of the most notorious actions taken by Anonymous in the past ten years.
5. Habbo Raids
It is impossible to deny the obvious link between Anonymous and Habbo. For those who are unaware, Habbo is a social community designed as a virtual hotel. It is thanks to these attacks Anonymous started gaining notoriety through the mainstream media. The reason behind these raids has to do with an Alabama amusement park banning a toddler affected by AIDS from entering the park’s swimming pool
4. Sarah Palin Email Compromised
In 2008, Anonymous made a fair few media headlines for their involvement in the Sarah Palin email hack. An unknown assailant hacked Palin’s private Yahoo account and posted the email account’s password on 4Chan. Several screenshots were sent to WikiLeaks as well, although no incriminating information was recovered from the account. Some people still see this hack as a missed opportunity to change history.
3. Major DDoS Attacks in 2010
Throughout the year 2010, payment service providers have come under heavy fire by Anonymous members. Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal were all feeling the brunt of these DDoS attacks after they cut off WikiLeaks from their systems. It was shortly after this incident WikiLeaks started to accept bitcoin donations, which they still do to this very day. It is evident these attacks only served as a minor reminder of what this collective is capable of.
2. Operation MegaUpload
When the government shut down file-sharing service MegaUpload – owned and operated by Kim Dotcom – the Anonymous collective sought vengeance. The arrest of four MegaUpload staffers created a lot of bad blood, ultimately resulting in a string of DDoS attacks. Among the targets were sites belonging to the DOJ, FBI, MPAA, UMG, and various others, all of whom were responsible for having MegaUpload shut down.
1. Operation Ferguson
While some people see Anonymous as a group of vigilantes, nothing could be further from the truth. In 2014, the group posted a video warning to the Ferguson, Missouri police after shooting Mike Brown. This news story got a lot of attention all over the world, as many people felt this was a mere act of power abuse rather than actively trying to keep his streets safe. Anonymous echoed this statement by stating how this was a clear example of police misconduct with deadly consequences.
The video warning was only the beginning, though. Multiple doxes were released recounts’ the St. Louis County police Chief. His refusal to expose the person responsible for the killing, as well as his open challenge to Anonymous, were plenty of reason to take action. The group exposed Police Chief Belmar’s location, phone number, and family members. One thing is clear: Anonymous focuses on bringing justice to those who it believes deserve it, regardless of how that needs to be done.
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