An Australian alleged to be part of Anonymous has been charged for encouraging foreign hackers to attack the country’s spy agencies in a video posted online.
Mathew John Hutchinson, 21, from Melbourne, is said to have told a group of Indonesian hackers to focus on intelligence agencies and stop attacking private businesses, in a campaign thought to have been provoked by reports of Australian spying.
A video alleged to have been published by Hutchinson said: "You have defaced many innocent Australian websites in an effort to protest against the Australian Government and their spy agency, ASIO (the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation).
"Innocent businesses should not be attacked. We all bound together in an effort to bring down our tyrant governments to shape our world as a better place. We bid you, as a fellow brother to focus on your main target – governments and spy agencies – and leave the innocent bystanders out of this."
It followed up by threatening the Indonesians with "the wrath of our fellow legion", a warning that Australian hackers might retaliate against them for their actions.
The attacks, which targeted ASIO, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) and the Australian Signals Directorate, are said to have brought down the first two agencies’ websites for several days.
Hutchinson has been charged with two offences of encouraging others to hack, as well as possession of a laser pointer. The trial continues.
