Anonymous hacks FEMA
globalpost.com
globalpost.com
At least Snowden held back any state secrets that would have seriously compromised national security. I highly doubt that anonymous will be light handed in that matter. All we can do is hope they haven't found any information that may put people's lives at risk if leaked.
This seems to be an attempt to stay in the spotlight so they can get their message out. And we are gaining traction from the NSA leaks, I hope that the attack by Anonymous doesn't negatively affect our forward movement through open and above board activist groups.
I'm less optimistic than you. It seems to me like an attempt to stay in the spotlight so they can assuage their own egos.
Something about this attack feels... "wrong" to me. Like a petulant child who is angry and lashing out, rather than a concerned citizen who is attempting to do the right thing at the cost of his own welfare. It's a mighty fine line though.
"...A few months following the “successful” exercise in cyberattack response, FEMA Chief of Staff Jason McNamara joined Obsidian Analysis as vice president. For the hackers, the quick switch from the public sector to a closely associated private contractor was enough to raise suspicions of collusion. Anonymous alleges that McNamara’s transition to the private sector is evidence of a profit-driven motive for the escalation of cyber warfare. "
If the underlying suspicious implication is true, it is these revolving door collusions for profit abusing the public trust and federal budget theft, that are seriously threatening. It can only snowball without any oversight. If more than just scree smoke, I welcome anyone, anons, script-kiddies, whomever, to expose these potential cases of alleged abuse of this potentially unchecked escalating corruption.
With the DHS purchasing billions of rounds of ammo, thousands of MRAPs etc - people are worried that the government is specifically gearing up and preparing for civil unrest.
edit: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6065248 They have the passwords.
Anon wants an internet free of surveillance. But they're doing exactly what they need to in order to justify that reality.
Idiots.
Now who is the idiot?
That is kind of the point, but you are right in that Anonymous' nature works against lending much credence to their motives.
Such incompetence at security with such importance attached to it should result in prison time and a life-time banishment from office...
Sigh... I suppose the victim blaming is a necessary consequence of a community that actually thinks about how to defend against attacks...
I think that is EXACTLY their intention, like the US government puts crazy pressure in Snowden as a "warning" to future whistle blowers, anons are using the same tactic against US government itself...
If it works or not, I am yet to see, but I can agree with two things:
One, it might make sense.
Two, it is highly dangerous and might cause lots of unintended collateral damage.
I know that is exactly what Snowden has done (in some ways) but he also had restraint and wasn't attempting to harm the US. By engaging in war (which is what the administration will see this as) they could undercut all the work that other activists are doing.
But like you I can see another possibility, one where this is necessary and the only way the US will get the message. But I feel it is more likely a option 2 Two, it is highly dangerous and might cause lots of unintended collateral damage.
Revolution has been destroyed too as the very act of promoting or discussing it is terrorism under law and people will just be locked up before they have a chance to express or organise. Our modern communication infrastructure supports this outcome.
The best thing we now hope for is to survive in quiet obedience or await for a natural disaster to shift the balance.
The fact of the matter is, no one other than a few crazies on the internet think the UK is a tyrannical state. If it really was, you would have unrest similar to actual dictatorships, like Syria and Libya. You wouldn't be able to type out your conspiracy theories, because the internet would be shut off.
Do you really want society to collapse to the point of Syria or Lybia before you want the citizenry to stand up for themselves? Or is everyone just a tin-foil hatter until secret police starts wisking people away?
This is just a comfortable dictatorship.
Also, this is the reason some believe the Anon attacks to be false-flag psyops in order to further the cyber-drive hardon the USG has.
If NSA+Israel wrote Stux and Duqu, its not like they are some slouchers that are going to be humiliated by Anon... or are they?
It doesn't work that way.
It's a human organization, not a school of fish. There are absolutely influential and directing personalities. That we don't know who they are doesn't mean they don't exist.
If they had gone for the NSA itself they would have a) pissed it off; b) gotten party vans outside their homes.