Anonymous Posts Audio of Intercepted FBI Conference Call 336
DrDevil writes "A member of the computer hacking group Anonymous has hacked into a telephone conference between the FBI and Scotland Yard (London Police) and posted it on the internet. The Daily Telegraph has a comprehensive article on the hack. The audio of the call can be heard here." Reader eldavojohn snips as well from the AP's story as carried by Google: "Those on the call talk about what legal strategy to pursue in the cases of Ryan Cleary and Jake Davis — two British suspects linked to Anonymous — and discuss details of the evidence gathered against other suspects."
How convenient (Score:5, Interesting)
"Anonymous is a dangerous threat to national security. They can even listen in on phone calls on secure lines. We must have mandatory validated identification of all users of the Internet and an end to anonymity to protect our secret operations."
Re:I Guess This Means ... (Score:5, Interesting)
The more resources the FBI puts into find members of Anonymous, the easier it will be for Anonymous to know what they are doing.
Re:They aren't heroes (Score:5, Interesting)
I mean this question in all seriousness: In this new information age in which we find ourselves, who ARE the heroes and who are the villains among these?
1. Wikileaks / Bradley Manning / Julian Assange
2. The justice department in conjunction with the overzealous copyright lobby and their partner brain slugs attached to the heads of the US executive branch
3. "Illegal" immigrants
4. The 1% that siphons wealth out of the country so they can get a generous cut along the way
5. The proletariat who are mostly content with the way things are, but would be fully content if there was just more of it.
6. Television news media
7. The US congress
8. The US military
9. Anonymous / Lulzsec / 2600
Here's my OPINION (for what it's worth, don't feel obligated to buy it)
Heroes: 1,3,8,9
Villains: 2,4,6,7
Undecided / Neutral: 5
What destruction has Anonymous caused that compares to suppression of the 1st amendment? They're effectively just calling shenanigans loud enough for everyone to hear, and I find it hilarious how much offense their opponents take in response.
Re:They aren't heroes (Score:5, Interesting)
>Anonymous aren't heroes. They're the worst type of vigilantes
Perspective, wherefore art thou? The worst type of vigilantes rip people apart, physically - body from limb, burn homes, kill families and innocent people; baying, pitch-fork-wielding, lynching, bloodthirsty mobs.
Personally, I see Anonymous as a cross between Robin Hood and Loki.
I'm not saying nobody's going to get hurt, but part of me really rather likes them.
Re:Like Watching at The Zoo... (Score:5, Interesting)
I guess you sort of don't get the point of anonymous. They don't two [insert fecal reference here] because they are anyone and everyone, they blend right into the crowd. It could be anyone you know or don't know and people don't even have to join anonymous to be anonymous. These are basically random acts of terror. They don't really "decide" to do things as a group. Some random guy out there just suddenly decides, hey I'm going to go and do this and this and announces it to everyone. For example, the "public" opinion in "anonymous," which just so happens to match the general public opinion at large at the time, was that the Sony attacks and other related video game hacks were going to far and undermined public opinion of the "group" as a whole. Also, a lot of them are gamers too, so they weren't too happy with the idea of attacking gamers, in general. But, one or two "members" just decided gamers needed to be trolled, and did so. And, the fact that other anonymous members were annoyed by it, just made their trolling sweeter. Also, there were other members who simply get off on following the rest of the sheep in any attack they decide to do, so even though they might not have been in favor of it they just went along with it because that's where the action was.
They're the epitomy of a pure anarchy. They coordinate by accident, and when they don't they act as lone wolves and do things of their own accord and agendas. And, the FBI and powers that be catch a few here and there, but it's like trying to stop whistle blowing for example there's always going to be more out there "joining" every day. Except that they're not really "joining" per se, all you need to do to be a supposed member is commit a random attack, brag about it, and stay anonymous. The moment your identity is known, e.g. you got doxxed, then you're no longer a "member" of the group. The ones they catch don't know any of the other members. Hopefully, that puts things in perspective.
Basically, they're unstoppable. Maybe you can scare the group as a whole, sort of. For example, when some members were captured during a protest and taken by the Mexican mafias. Other "members" essentially negotiated for their safe release, using probably the only method they had at their disposal, blackmail. However, the mafia said to anonymous, that they would release the members but that if anonymous continued to expose and attack the mafia they would kill 1 innocent a day or something like that. Guess what anonymous did after their member's release? Sure enough, they went right back to exposing / attacking the mafia. Some "members" are amoral and really don't care, and some do care. But, the ones who care can't stop the ones that don't from doing simply anything they please. Just like if you picked a handful of random members of the general population, you'll find some people that care about others, some that don't, and some that may even amount to being criminal.
The concept of anonymous is a pretty dangerous thing. Just like the war on terror, it's asymmetrical warfare. I'm reminded of an old saying, "It is easier to destroy than create." -- Niven's 6th law.
They're probably going to be with us a very long time, the genie is out of the bottle. Even if you tracked every single communication and person in the world, they're going to find a way around it. They have a lot of hackers as members, great ones and not so great ones. Ironically, probably a hundred years from now they'll be the only thing standing between the average population and an absolute world totalitarianism that controls everything we think, say, and do. That's the only comforting thought I can think of about this whole fiasco.
Re:Anonymous is just a bunch of lulz-seeking idiot (Score:5, Interesting)
They're apparently much smarter than you are.
The FBI is what it is because it outwardly appears to operate effectively. If you can demonstrate well enough that it is not effective it will be dismantled either through staffing changes or actual full-on dismantling.
You don't try to tie up the FBI's time, because it will just cost the tax payer more money. You throw egg in it's face as often as you possibly can until it's a laughing stock and must be replaced/removed in order to save face.
Again, clearly much smarter than you
Re:They aren't heroes (Score:3, Interesting)
I am a well-adjusted, tax-paying, home-owning, voting, employed, married, graduate-educated, 30-something American citizen. My political views are fairly main stream. It is remarkable how freedom and privacy I've lost and how much power the government has gained in my lifetime. I want more freedom and more privacy, even if I must pay with safety and money. I no longer see the police and the federal security apparatus as working in my interests. It is gratifying to see someone take them on and win. The Anonymous idea is intoxicating; even if it is rough around the edges. I wish them the best.
--ANON, JD, MBA