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NATO Report Threatens To 'Persecute' Anonymous

Posted by Roblimo on from the who-did-you-say-you-were? dept.

Stoobalou writes "NATO leaders have been warned that Wikileaks-loving 'hacktivist' collective Anonymous could pose a threat to member states' security, following recent attacks on the US Chamber of Commerce and defence contractor HBGary — and promise to 'persecute' its members." From the article: "In a toughly-worded draft report to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, General Rapporteur Lord Jopling claims that the loose-knit, leaderless group is 'becoming more and more sophisticated,' and 'could potentially hack into sensitive government, military, and corporate files.'"

14 of 388 comments (clear)

  1. Great idea! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Because that's worked great against al-Qaida. Ten years and we finally caught/killed the closest thing to a leader they have and the war still continues.

    Anonymous had no real leader or command structure. Pursuing this course of action would be a huge waste of time/money and only rile up a bee's nest that loves to fight back when provoked.

  2. Good luck with that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I am Spartacus!

    1. Re:Good luck with that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I am Spartacus!

      Man, that movie would've been a lot funnier if they just started slaughtering every smartass who spoke up just to teach the rest a lesson.

      Wait, did I say "funnier"? Sorry, I meant "more true to what would actually happen if there was anything like this demonic evil fascist dictatorship going on that everyone keeps talking about".

  3. Acts of War by Alphanos · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Oh. When we saw the story the other day that the US had declared that hacking and similar online attacks could be considered acts of war, I didn't understand the purpose of such a statement. Now I understand.

    I think we might be seeing the start of America's next war on a general concept.

    Any bets as to what the target will be stated as? Anonymity? The Internet in general?

    --
    Alphanos
    1. Re:Acts of War by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It will be a war not fought to be won, but to be sustained; sustaining the military-industrial-security complex.

      Anyone can be a suspect.

  4. Re:Persecuting your own citizens by dgatwood · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hey, NATO,

    What's the matter? You've been telling us for years that if we didn't do anything wrong, there's no need for privacy. Welcome to our world.

    Sincerely,
    Everyone

    --

    Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

  5. "The tighter you grip ... by DaGoodBoy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ... the more systems will slip through your fingers."

    --
    My God! It's full of Voids!
    1. Re:"The tighter you grip ... by spun · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "... the more you risk a serious chafing and subsequent desensitization of the glans, leading to increased frictional requirements, leading to a tighter grip in a terrible downward spiral that ends up with something that resembles a hot dog stricken with leprosy. "

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
  6. Translation by wcrowe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Translation: we now have a convenient bogeyman to use as an excuse to exercise greater control over the masses.

    --
    Proverbs 21:19
  7. Re:What if? by creat3d · · Score: 3, Insightful

    We cook your food. We pick up your trash. We are your doctors and sysadmins. We manufacture your weapons and security bunkers. We are your IT and shipping departments. We distribute the mail and clean your cum-stained hotel rooms. DO NOT FUCK WITH US.

    --
    Grammar nazis are to this community what excrements are to gold.
  8. Governments should be afraid of their people by Omnifarious · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I can only hope that Anonymous exceeds their expectations. Right now, it looks like they think Anonymous is a threat they can crush. I dearly hope that it isn't. My government should be quaking in its boots at the thought of angering a significant minority of those it governs. "Government by consent of the governed." has meant far too little for far too long.

    --
    Need a Python, C++, Unix, Linux develop
  9. Re:Persecuting your own citizens by dgatwood · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No, no, no, you misunderstood me. If the NATO member nations were doing nothing wrong, then they would have no need for privacy, and thus by their own logic, the actions of anonymous are ethical and reasonable.

    --

    Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

  10. Re:good luck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I think they're fishing for information, trying to observe a reaction. If NATO really wanted to go after Anonymous, it would IMHO be a strategic blunder: The whole point of Anonymous is their asymmetric approach. Not only that, but NATO doesn't even have superiority online. Another more likely scenario is that NATO wants to extend its mandate and uses Anonymous as an example "cyber" threat. I mean, who wants to guarantee that Anonymous isn't a false flag operation in the first place?

  11. just following orders by Thud457 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Bradley Manning has instigated more positive change in the world than the whole CIA in the last 30 years.
    His handlers should let the cat out of the bag and accept the kudos they deserve. Talk about bang for the buck!

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff