UPDATE: The hactivist group Anonymous has announced the group will not be attacking Facebook on Jan 28.
The group also denies claims in the video released earlier today (See link at bottom of page).
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The hacking collective’s attack is the latest in a string of cyber attacks in protest against several US Internet laws and the shutdown of the file sharing website Megaupload.
News about the cyberattack was announced on @YourAnonNews which had cautioned earlier that the group was going to take action.
This attack follows from last week as Anonymous brought down the FBI’s website along with nine others in reaction to close of Megaupload.
Yesterday, Anonymous threatened to bring down Facebook and released a video on YouTube calling followers to join in the planned attack. In the video the message said:
"While is it true that Facebook has at least 60000 servers it is still possible to bring it down. Anonymous needs the help of the people the people who want to take a stand against the government the people who want to make a difference.
This is what we must do. But first you must ask yourself are you truly apart of the anonymous consciousness? Do you fully grasp our ideas and understand what we are? If you do then one thing is clear together, we the people, we anonymous can make a change."
Detailed instructions are then given in the video on how to crash Facebook. To view the video click here. (CBR is not responsible for any content on external websites, nor does it condone any illegal behaviour)
While Anonymous initially started out as a loose union of online users coordinating their actions for entertainment or satirical purposes, it has become more and more aggressive since 2008 and is now associated with international ‘hacktivism‘, undertaking protests, denial of service attacks (DDoS) and vigilantism against corporations, governments and criminals. It is now associated with the protection of internet freedom and freedom of speech, and the group has fought to promote causes, such as Wikileaks, and protest the SOPA and PIPA copyright bills in the US.
Given the ad hoc nature of the group, it has proven very difficult to identify ringleaders, or break up the group for the purposes of criminal charges, to the frustration of government bodies worldwide.
