Anonymous is a worldwide network of hacktivists that claims to have an “anti-oppression agenda.” The group asserts its support for information access, free speech, transparency, anti-corruption, and anti-authoritarian efforts.
The group uses encrypted chat rooms and social media to discuss and share strategies for tackling particular issues. Their reputation, though, is built on their involvement in cyberattacks, notably DDoS attacks on government, corporate, and religious websites.
The Birth of Anonymous: From Internet Pranks to Hacktivism
Anonymous first appeared on 4chan, a bulletin board founded in 2003, where posts by unnamed users on the website are tagged as “Anonymous.”
Early on, 4chan users conducted “raids”, group pranks that disrupted the website’s chat rooms and online communities. The site, however, clamped down on these raids over concerns about cyberbullying and offensive content.
The raids gave birth to Anonymous,one of the most infamous hacking groups out there today. This decentralized group uses social networks and encrypted online chat rooms to coordinate online disruptions, initially for fun and later for social and political causes.
Why Anonymous Launches DDoS Cyberattacks
Anonymous is known for targeting entities, including governments, which it believes promote censorship and inequality. Being decentralized and lacking a formal structure, the group frequently holds internal discussions to decide which causes to support.
The hacktivist group often pre-announces its attacks to attract recruits and media attention. Once recruitment is done, they start their operation, identifying targets and their vulnerabilities.
To execute cyberattacks, the group uses flooding tools like High Orbit Ion Cannon (HOIC) and Low Orbit Ion Cannon (LOIC) to overload servers, causing server instability or even a DoS event.
Anonymous often uses classic black-hat tactics, such as using tools like Acunetix to find web app vulnerabilities, and Havij to perform SQL injection on websites.
The group’s initial goal is often to steal data from websites and servers. If unsuccessful, they switch toDistributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, but first, they conduct an online poll to select a target and name their operation.
For instance, in 2008, Anonymous launched “Project Chanology,” one of their first notable attacks against the Church of Scientology. The group used multiple tactics, including prank calls, ink-draining faxing, and DDoS attacks to target the church in response to its legal actions against Gawker for publishing a video of Tom Cruise endorsing Scientology.
The events sparked global protests against Scientology, with many Anonymous supporters wearing Guy Fawkes masks, now a symbol associated with the group. Another prominent attack is Operation Payback, launched in 2010 against PayPal, PostFinance, MasterCard, and Visa.
When the US government asked WikiLeaks to stop sharing classified diplomatic cables, Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal cut ties with the whistleblower site. The group retaliated by launching DDoS attacks on visa.com and mastercard.com for disrupting funding to WikiLeaks. They also carried out DDoS attacks on PostFinance and PayPal for a similar reason.
Another mentionable attack is “Operation Egypt,” launched by Anonymous in 2011 in response to the Egyptian government blocking Twitter and cracking down on public protests.
During the anti-government protests, police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators. The Egyptian authorities further blocked Twitter to make communication among protesters difficult. Anonymous threatened to attack Egyptian government websites if it didn’t allow free access to uncensored media. The government didn’t, so the group hacked and shut down its websites, including the ruling party’s site.
In the last two decades, Anonymous has launched numerous other attacks, including the HBGary Federal Hack in 2011, the CIA website attack in 2012, Operation Paris in response to the 2015 Paris attacks, and attacks against Russia’s Ukraine invasion in 2022.
Anonymous: Vigilantes or Modern-Day Heroes?
Anonymous projects itself as a protector of the socially, economically, and politically underprivileged. It carries out DDoS attacks against those it perceives responsible, including governments and corporations that have harmed the disadvantaged in these spheres.
The group’s backers likely see them as heroes who quickly deliver part of the much-needed justice. However, many critics find Anonymous attacks, including doxing and DDoS attacks, illegal and unethical.
