Anonymous hacks UK government sites over 'draconian surveillance'

[nsane.forums]

Anonymous has launched a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) against multiple UK government websites. The group is not pleased with the UK government’s plans to monitor Internet users.

The hacktivist group Anonymous today hacked multiple U.K. government websites over the country’s “draconian surveillance proposals” and “derogation of civil rights.” At the time of writing, the following websites are down: homeoffice.gov.uk (Home Office), number10.gov.uk (10 Downing Street - British Prime Minister’s Office), and justice.gov.uk (Ministry of Justice).

This appears to be a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack with multiple targets. This means Anonymous is simply overloading the servers with more connections than they can handle, bringing the websites down, rather than stealing data. Then again, as we saw with the DDoS attacks against the Vatican, the group is perfectly capable of putting in a backdoor to make life easier when it wants to take the site down a second time.

Anonymous is angry with the U.K. government for wanting to monitor all Web and phone traffic. For more information, check out my colleague Zack Whittaker’s article: UK’s ‘Patriot Act’ Web monitoring law could face European veto. The hackers say the move is also to show they do not support extradition from the U.K. to the U.S., such as in the cases of Gary McKinnon, Richard O’Dwyer, and Christopher Tappin.

The following tweets are from Anon_Central, which has 120,000 followers, describing the attack:

#OpTrialAtHome — Target: http://www.HomeOffice.gov.uk | ETA: 7 MINS! Charge your laz0rs and aim! #Anonymous #UK

#OpTrialAtHome — Target: http://www.HomeOffice.gov.uk | Fire! Fire!! Fire!!! Fire!!!! Soundtrack- #Anonymous #UK Pew Pew Pew

#OpTrialAtHome : Tango Down: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk | Keep Firing!!!! Keep it down! Make them hear you! #Anonymous #UK

#OpTrialAtHome: Added Tango Down: http://www.number10.gov.uk - #PrimeMinister’s website | #Anonymous #UK

#OpTrialAtHome — Target: http://www.HomeOffice.gov.uk | Keep #Firing!!! Keep it down! Make your voice heard! #Anonymous #UK

#OpTrialAtHome: Don’t switch targets! Keep #Firing at: http://www.HomeOffice.gov.uk | #UK We have backup for http://www.number10.gov.uk #Anonymous

#OpTrialAtHome: #Anonymous attacks #UK Prime Minister and Home Office #websites with #DDoS http://bit.ly/IdwnEp |

#OpTrialAtHome: Added Tango Down: Ministry of Justice - http://www.justice.gov.uk | #UK v @On3iroi #UK | Keep firing! #Anonymous

#Anonymous launched a cyberattack on http://www.number10.gov.uk, http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk & http://www.justice.gov.uk resulting in multiple TANGO DOWNS.

After the attack was deemed a success, tweets detailing why the U.K. government was targeted started rolling in:

@SPCoulson its a digital #protest which is different than hacking. #UK want their #government to listen. We can do it as long as it takes!

#OpTrialAtHome, because selling your citizens to foreigner is not acceptable! We are #Anonymous, We do not forget, We do not forgive. #UK

#OpTrialAtHome is offered in protest of the potential extradition of Gary McKinnon, Christopher Harold Tappin & Richard O’Dwyer. #Anonymous

Meanwhile, the YourAnonNews Twitter account, which has 564,000 followers, had this to say:

TANGO DOWN - http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ (via @AnonymouSpoon) For your draconian surveillance proposals! Told you to #ExpectUs! #ANONYMOUS #AnonUK

TANGO DOWN #2: http://bit.ly/bMmT1i (via @AnonymouSpoon) For the draconian suveillance proposals and derogation of civil rights #ANONYMOUS

RECAP: In the past HOUR, #Anonymous launched a cyberattack on http://number10.gov.uk/ & http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ resulting in multiple TANGO DOWNS.

TANGO DOWN #3: http://justice.gov.uk for continued derogation of civil liberties (va @OperationLeakS) #ANONYMOUS #DidYouExpectUsYet? #AnonUK

How many admins do you think just had their Easters ruined? #AnonUK #Anonymous

The attacks against the U.K. government today closely follow attacks against hundreds of Chinese government, company, and other general websites over the last week. Those attacks are still ongoing.

View: Original Article

[shought]

When will people understand that a DDoS attack is not 'hacking'.

A DDoS attack is disabling their website, not breaking into their servers.

[Frosticles]

When will people understand that a DDoS attack is not 'hacking'.

A DDoS attack is disabling their website, not breaking into their servers.

Its alot like this so-called phone hacking scandal which is just guessing that the voicemail password is default (0000), its not really hacking at all, its just lazy people who cant be bothered to change their passwords.

[valaya]

When will people understand that a DDoS attack is not 'hacking'.

A DDoS attack is disabling their website, not breaking into their servers.

IT literacy should be taught in schools just like they're doing so with global languages (English, German, etc.).

Also, most people are using PCs for Facebook, so, yea, it's self-explanatory.

[Nemesis]

most people are using PCs for Facebook

:o but macs arent PC's........

if anonymous really wanted to do some "real" damage, they should start a "Anonleaks" or something, a way to shed some real light on the issues they want to fight. DDoSing a website wont change anything or make more people aware.

[valaya]

:o but macs arent PC's........

Touché

if anonymous really wanted to do some "real" damage, they should start a "Anonleaks" or something, a way to shed some real light on the issues they want to fight. DDoSing a website wont change anything or make more people aware.

Problem is, they're not capable of something like that, IMO, this whole "Anonymous" movement is a big attention and approval seeking amongst the community, especially since people aren't that proficient with the IT terminology etc., and they're considering them "major hackers and fighters for freedom".

[DKT27]

Thing is, DDoS is only one part of what people at anonymous do. Though DDoS is most easy (thanks to LOIC and HOIC), it doesn't end there. Anonymous has really hacked sites, servers, have leaked emails, documents, ID/passwords, have exposed people, have doxed people and the list goes on and on and on. Taking last year's HBGary security company as an example, a 16 year old girl heading the hack and hacking the site and leaking information/mails from FBI in like 15 mins or so is not such a bad job.

However, at times all this DDoS does seem useless, but they are acting like cyber activists, that's all.