Anonymous hackers darkened several Indian government websites, retaliating against the country's censorship practices in its continued crusade for a free Internet.
The Supreme Court of India and All India Congress Committee websites suffered distributed denial of service attacks under "MT Operation India," leaving them inaccessible for 24 hours. Anonymous crippled the government pages to chastise Indian service providers for blocking file-sharing sites like Vimeo and The Pirate Bay.
India's ISPs acted in anticipation of a pending government proposal, which aims to create a Committee for Internet Related Policies for overseeing the subcontinent's online activities.
The committee, a 50-member UN-backed organization, would hold censorship powers over content deemed inappropriate or offensive by India's ruling party. But Anonymous, whose Pirate Party won parliamentary seats in Sweden and Germany after campaigning for Internet freedom, disagrees with this direction.
"Namaste #India, your time has come to trash the current government and install a new one. Good luck. #SaveTPB #Anonymous #Censorship," the collective tweeted.
Anonymous has a history of denouncing governments that wish to control the Internet, while India has a record of censoring websites. The two interests are now clashing for the second, but likely not the last, time.
Anonymous' first publicized tangle with India occurred in February and concerned the 1984 Bhopal gas leak, which left thousands dead and maimed. The global intelligence firm Stratfor, according to Anonymous, paid corrupt Indian officials to silence victims after the disaster.
Before turning its sights to Bhopal, Anonymous already enjoyed widespread notoriety for challenging worldwide governments on censorship issues.
The collective hit the FBI for nabbing Wikileaks suspects, struck China over its strict censorship policies, even targeting Malaysia and Spain for their attempts to police the Internet.
Anonymous also involved itself in the Arab Spring, fighting against Gaddafi in Egypt and Assad in Syria. The leaderless hackers also criticized Iran over its plans to create a government-run, internal Internet by August 2012.
Until the Stratfor hack this February, however, Anonymous largely remained silent while India sought to censor emails and social media content.
India successfully banned Nokia email servers in April 2011, citing security risks, and enlisted RIM's reluctant help in monitoring BlackBerry Messenger content last fall. The country is also suing Google and Facebook after the Internet giants' allegedly slow response to government requests for proactive censorship of "offensive" content.
But after years of ignoring India's increasingly strict Internet controls, Anonymous is beginning to take interest. The collective may be doing so in part to burnish its reputation as a crusader for freedom after a slew of bad press smeared the hackers this winter.
If India pursues its current direction about online restrictions, however, Anonymous will likely strike the subcontinent more often, denouncing Internet regulation and preserving its own reputation in the process.
Cyber-attacks on small businesses are repelling customers and costing a fortune, leaving owners with tough choices on how to strengthen their online defenses against increasingly common security breaches.
According to a Neustar study, 70 percent of surveyed businesses experienced prolonged distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attacks that drove away countless customers and millions of dollars in potential revenue.
Over five hundred IT professionals admitted their greatest fear is the customer backlash and heavy cost of distributed denial of service attacks. DDoS attacks overload servers with requests, overwhelming websites in a heavy flow of traffic.
Retailers worried about hacking the most, as such attacks cost an average of $100,000 per hour.
"This is a significant amount of money," observed Ted Swearingen, director of the Neustar Security Operations Center. "People don't realize there are a lot of other costs associated with DDoS, such as brand damage."
Neustar's study suggests if large firms suffer monetarily from cyber-attacks, small businesses have an even harder time handling increased security breaches.
For instance, Sony stands out as a significantly damaged brand, following a string of Anonymous DDoS hacks from April until October 2011. The attacks cost millions in cleanup and forced the company to compensate disgruntled users for failing to protect their data.
The Japanese company was big enough to stay afloat following this disaster, but most small entrepreneurs would have sunk in its wake. And in this case Anonymous hackers didn't even aim to steal from Sony's financial centers, preferring instead to humiliate the electronics maker by publicizing user information.
"While Anonymous has been getting a lot of headlines, our data tells us that most of these attacks are happening for the old-school reasons of why you'd want to knock out a site: financial gain and competitive advantage," said Sweringen.
Small businesses are just as vulnerable as big corporations against financial DDoS attacks, since the payout is lower but the threat of retaliation much slimmer. And financially motivated attacks are increasingly common, as Swearingen states.
"You have a one in three chance of a DDoS attack. It is something that IT teams and companies need to prepare for," he warns.
But under five percent of participants in Neustar's study have any protection against DDoS attacks, using only firewalls and rudimentary software to discourage hackers.
Further, many businesses use generic passwords like "password1" and "1234" to shield sensitive data rather that switching to complicated, unhackable codes.
Cyber-insurance, sold by firms like Travelers Companies and Chubb, also offer a refuge to both small and large businesses seeking protection against cyber-criminals. Still, this method is only partially helpful as it may not cover certain claims like civil lawsuits.
New government regulations may also soon enable small businesses to collaborate with the National Security Administration in warding off cyber-criminals. But civil rights advocates say these bills violate the First Amendment and may eliminate more liberties than they grant.
With the number of cyber-hacks is the rise, small companies will need to set aside finances for comprehensive preparations to fortify their electronic defenses to avoid Sony's fate. However, they will also need to weigh whether the investment will be money well-spent, or if any company can really be protected against the ever-increasing -- and more aggressive -- amount of cyber-attacks.
A California student tried to win a college government election by hacking into classmates' accounts, which may lead to federal charges and increased privacy for not only colleges, but national and state elections as well.
Anonymous released a potentially unsafe OS, saddling the collective with trust issues as it moves to expand beyond hacking.
Anonymous OS Live, available for free on SourceForge, can supposedly check the "security of Web pages" with password cracking tools and simulated denial of service attacks.
But AnonOps, the collective's official Twitter account, warns the Linux-based OS "is fake" and "wrapped in Trojans" meant to spy on users' computers.
The OS creators deny this statement, insisting, "If any user believe that Anonymous-OS 'is wrapped in trojans' or 'backdoored OS by any Law enforcement Company or Hacker,' please don't download it! But don't mislead the world that Linux is dangerous and has trojans!"
The Anonymous OS Live was downloaded about 21,000 times in four days, with nearly 40 users recommending it while half that number saying it's bad news.
The conflict surrounding the OS suggests it is the unsanctioned work of legitimate Anons or perhaps of hackers out to hurt the collective with more bad publicity.
More bad press is the last thing Anonymous needs, since news of the dubious OS follows reports of internal betrayals and rogue hackers that continue to plague the collective.
Most notably, LulzSec leader Sabu, who had close ties to Anonymous, recently helped the FBI arrest five Anons in exchange for a reduced sentence after his capture. And the "Jester," a hacker bent on outing the hacktivists, says he may also aid the FBI by giving them top Anons' personal information.
James Jeffrey also darkened the collective's reputation as online freedom fighters when he broke into the medical records of 10,000 British women connected with the country's biggest abortion provider.
These conflicting actions are challenging Anonymous' movement to expand its influence outside of hacking operations and continue to cultivate such a negative media image of the group.
"Anonymous 9000" addressed this conundrum at the South by Southwest film festival, publicly reiterating the collective's mission to defend freedom of speech and corporate transparency. 9000's speech at the prominent festival reflects the group's increased preoccupation with influencing popular opinion, which is critical since Anons need support for ventures like protests, a social media network and new political parties.
Anonymous managed to draw crowds for last summer's street protests against San Francisco's public transportation network, as well as garnering support for the Occupy movement. The collective has also mentioned creating its own social network as well as forming a U.S. version of its European political parties.
But these goals may be threatened if the organization's internal strife and dissent confuses the average person and begins to distrust Anonymous and its buggy OS-building members. In order to stay positive in public opinion, Anonymous will likely distance itself more aggressively from those who may discredit the collective in order to further its goals.
Hackers showed up at SXSW's Film Festival to support a documentary about Anonymous, reiterating their mission following a crackdown on their collective.
Two hackers, wearing Guy Fawkes masks to protect their identities, insisted their cause is strong despite recent arrests, inside tipsters and rogue members' counterproductive activities.
Anonymous member "9000" told an SXSW panel it was initially chilling when police nabbed LulzSec leader Hector Xavier Monsegur, known as "Sabu."
But Sabu's arrest and subsequent aid in the FBI capture of five Anons only encouraged hacktivists to further campaign for free speech and transparent enterprise, according to the hacker.
"A lot of people we hadn't seen for months, or years, started showing up. An attack happened that night," he recounted. "It just angered them, not frightened them."
The collective demonstrated resilience following FBI and Interpol arrests by attacking high-profile targets like the Vatican and a neo-Nazi group.
Besides praising the hacktvists' perseverance, 9000 explained that the group's recent bad press in no way reflects most members' sentiments.
"That's the double-edged sword of Anonymous," said 9000. "Anyone can claim the name of Anonymous and do whatever they want. If anyone wants to make Anonymous look bad... it's easy to do."
9000 may have been referring to hackers like "The Jester" and James Jeffrey, both of whom have lately cast the collective in a poor light.
Jeffrey, a self-proclaimed Anon, hacked into 10,000 women's health records at Britain's biggest abortion provider.
The Jester claims to possess the personal information of multiple Anons and says he will use it to aid law enforcement in capturing the hackers.
The exploits of a few continue to dampen Anonymous' public image, but an SXSW film called "We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists" may help reverse this trend and shed light on the mysterious group.
"I think Anonymous has garnered a lot of attention, some of it negative but a lot of it quite positive," ?said Gabriella Coleman, one of the film's commentators.
"The support has been wild and extensive, which we can see registered with the Guy Fawkes iconography spreading everywhere during OWS or earlier with the Paypal boycott day on Twitter," she continued.
Coleman's sentiments infuse the film, which may undo some of the damage visited on Anonymous by federal authorities and internal betrayals.
As a collective, Anonymous reflects differing viewpoints from both its destructive and creative members, as individuals continue to leave an imprint on the group. Recent incidents and even its own members suggest the collective is more complex than simply "good" or "bad," and its impact and actions will continue to reflect its varied membership and nature.
Anonymous hackers struck the Vatican again, wreaking havoc despite ongoing arrests, defectors and rogue members that risk impairing future operations.
Anons' latest attack on the Vatican temporarily darkened its website, during which time the group "took the liberty to implement a small incursion into [the Vatican Radio] systems."
A spokesman for the Radio acknowledged the breach but added, "Thirty percent of the information on the server was so outdated it was of no use."
Anonymous targeted the Radio since it allegedly uses transmitters that the collective believes operate "largely outside the bounds of the law."
The attack on the Holy City displays the collective's resolve to fight for transparent business practices and free speech, even as internal problems threaten to obscure its mission.
For instance, last week's operation against the Vatican, which sought to protest Catholic doctrine and child molestation, occurred one day after LulzSec member Sabu's arrest.
Hector Xavier Monsegur, known by the handle "Sabu," reportedly exposed other LulzSec members in exchange for a reduced sentence. LulzSec and Anonymous have had strong ties since joining forces last summer, implying Anons, too, may face arrest resulting from Sabu's confession.
After Sabu's betrayal, Anonymous tweeted, "Hacks will continue and so will the anger of the people. Arresting Sabu is not a win for the FBI it was a favour."
But the collective may face bigger problems now that a rogue hacker named "The Jester" says he possesses incriminating texts, emails and personal information belonging to Anonymous leaders.
The Jester has long accused Anons of stealing credit card numbers and passwords, and suggested he may hand over this information to the FBI if he hasn't already.
Meanwhile, the arrest of Anonymous member James Jeffery may hurt the collective's public image.
Jeffery landed in jail for hacking Britain's biggest abortion provider and nabbing the online records of 10,000 women. He is a "zealot with an anti-abortion campaign," according to Judge Daphne Wickham, who refused his request for bail.
Anonymous is feeling the heat thanks to Jeffery, the Jester and Sabu as well as Interpol and the FBI, which nabbed 30 hackers in sting operations so far this year.
Internal and external troubles have not yet dampened Anons' resolve, as the Vatican hack suggests, but the collective will need strong armor if it hopes to withstand future blows.
Police forces arrested five members of LulzSec on two continents Tuesday, betrayed by their own former leader as governments crack down on cyber security threats.
Law enforcement agents in the U.S, the U.K., and Ireland acted on evidence provided by Hector Xavier Monsegur, alias "Sabu." Charged with a dozen hacking-related crimes last year, FBI insiders told Fox News Sabu, the former leader of LulzSec, turned evidence on his co-conspirators in exchange for reduced sentencing.
Cyber-hacking and security have become a prime focus for governments, as more personal information becomes available online. In the U.S., politicians cite cyber-terrorism as a highly dangerous threat with the potential to wreak havoc on financial systems, government security, and the power grid, and hackers rank among those most wanted by federal agencies.
LulzSec, an offshoot of hacktivist collective Anonymous, claimed responsibility for hacks on PayPal, MasterCard, Visa, Sony, Fox, and the CIA and FBI last year, increasing its visibility but placing a major target on its back.
Increased government scrutiny, however, adds to mounting tension over how much data governments should have access to. Most Americans support a limited amount of government oversight in order to prevent future cyber terrorism, but recent news of federal regulators monitoring social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter led to an uncomfortable feeling that "Big Brother" is watching.
Public interest in collectives like Anonymous and LulzSec, while minimal, is steadily growing, with the latter group boasting more than 350,000 Twitter followers, and many citizens expressed support when Anonymous outed the names of 190 alleged pedophiles last year.
But the groups' other actions, such as hacking into databases and stealing consumer identities, raise questions about whether the collectives' negative actions outweigh any good they could do.
Either way, the government will be watching, and the FBI hopes Tuesday's arrests will send a clear message to other hackers. "This is devastating to the organization," an FBI official told FoxNews. "We're chopping off the head of LulzSec."
The most common password for businesses is "password1," highlighting the security risks to data breaches through simple hacks.
"Password1 is easy for employees to remember and meets security requirements, says Trustwave's 2012 Global Security Report, but the password's overuse makes networks an easy target.
Computers need strong passwords to keep data safe, since one that's too simple can get cracked easily by another machine. Trustwave says the top way hackers sneak into protected systems is through passwords, a trend that can only be fought with new technologies and privacy walls.
As hackers find new ways to break into systems, data protection techniques are also stepping up their game. If being clever with a password and character choice isn't an option, other ways of unlocking may become more popular, like fingerprints, facial recognition or even a heartbeat.
Trustwave's report found around 5 percent of passwords consist of a variation of the word "password." Though that percentage sounds small, it's alarmingly high when given the potential for six quadrillion of combinations, as is the number of possibilities for an eight-character password.
No matter what the password is, hackers can easily break into systems, with a Trustwave test harvesting 200,000 passwords in 10 hours on an off-the-shelf laptop. A security breach often goes unnoticed, with only 16 percent of businesses aware of hacks in the cases Trustwave investigated last year.
Widespread attacks are sparking efforts to reinvent digital security. President Barack Obama called on the private sector to streamline secure systems where users enter private information. Mobile carriers, Web services and manufacturers are well-versed on the spread of data breaches, and new ways to raise user awareness about hacking, like apps that can tip users off to hacks, can help consumers stay safe.
Until new technologies come into play to keep data secure, users, especially those on networks, would be wise to create unique combinations. Hackers can also easily break in when the password is any "real" word using dictionary-based systems, indicating that letter and number combinations might offer more safety.
In addition to "Password1," many users choose common words to protect valuable data -- "Seinfeld" is a frequent choice, according to Sony. For numbered passwords, "1234" and "0000" lack the mystery it takes to make a good password, and all in all, the top 10 iPhone four-digit unlock codes made up 15 percent of all codes.
As more data gets stored on computers, and smartphones, responsibility falls to people and businesses to take the initiative to keep it private, rather than relying on safeguards that are ever-prone to security breaches.
Until devices come with built-in features to keep data safe beyond a typed password, users may want to challenge themselves with trickier codes, posing a challenge to hackers as well.
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