A popular hacktivist group called Anonymous has returned from the shadows in the wake of the raging US protests. American states are in a state of unrest after the murder of George Floyd that has traumatized many citizens.
Anonymous revealed that this murder was only a part of the long list of crimes committed by American police. The Minneapolis Police department is regarded as the worst of all where a number of people like George Floyd are easily murdered and nobody seems to bother. They sent a message to expose many of their crimes in this ominous video.
Who Are The Anonymous?
The hacker group aims to expose those who they accuse of injustice through cyber attacks. Their operation is so smooth that it is hard to identify if it is the work of a hacktivist group. They refer to themselves as a legion which means that there is no leader and everybody conducts the hacking act individually.
The problem here is that without any centralized hierarchy of command, anyone can claim to be a part of Anonymous. Different members can have different priorities and there is not necessarily a single goal. However, most of their activities are aimed at identifying those who are misusing authority and then deliver punishment accordingly. They do this publicly by hacking and seizing websites or making them go offline to cause financial damage.
Actions Attributed To The Hacktivist
There are many crazy hacks associated with Anonymous but it is also reported they were quiet for the past several years. They re-emerged and various forms of cyber-attacks started getting attributed to Anonymous in relation to the US protests.
It was suspected that a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack took down the website of the Minneapolis police department. This might be unsophisticated but it is an effective form of cyber-attack. It floods the server with excessive data until the server can’t take it anymore.
A website page of one United Nations agency was turned into a memorial for George Floyd. The website content was replaced by a black screen containing their logo followed by George Floyd’s picture and a caption saying ‘Rest in Power, George Floyd’
Battle Against The Structural Racism In America
Current US protests are the worst since the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968. The turbulence caused by George Floyd’s murder is widespread and causing major civil unrest in the country. US President Donald Trump was also vague in his address which showed his lack of interest in the matter. This may have prompted Anonymous to come out of the dark once again.
Despite being a decentralised unit, members have stood up for many racial concerns in the past. One eventful example was the shooting of 2014 when a black teenager was murdered by a 28 year old white police officer. The hackers threatened to target the whole city if any protesters were harmed.
They firmly believe in the vision of a once great leader of civil rights but do not hesitate to improvise when oppression becomes an offence.
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