Sunday, February 13, 2011

Cyber Wars & Social Justice

The online pissing match between HBGary and Anonymous is fascinating. When HBGary security expert Aaron Barr boasted about infiltrating Anonymous, revenge was swift. The cyber Robin Hoods took his company site down, posted his SS# and other private data on the Web, and 50,000 of his emails were filched - soon to be made public at Anonymous' new leak site.

Barr might be talking big and claiming Anonymous have "picked a fight with the wrong guy". But big damage has been done. HBGary were once tame hackers for the feds, the US chamber and people like the Kochs. Their well-paid gigs included undermining unions and planting misinformation to discredit progressive orgs like Think Progress. Now, as Gawker says, "former business partners are scampering away, and it's unlikely anyone will trust their computer security with them again."

Have to say I'm mightily impressed by Anonymous' old-school sense of justice and wish them well. In lieu of a government too sold-out and ball-less to protect the people from corporate dirty tricks and privacy invasions, it seems the job has fallen to a ragtag bunch of angry nerds to slap down the usurpers. You go Anonymous!

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