Hackers with ties to Anonymous’ AntiSec movement continued their assault on law enforcement by releasing 10 gigs of sensitive information from 56 law enforcement entities across the country.
The information released includes more than 300 mail accounts; personal information for more than 7000 individuals including home addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers; online police training files; a snitch list compilation; and server passwords.
As with all Anonymous hacktivist activities, the group says the information was released to curb injustice.
“We hope that not only will dropping this info demonstrate the inherently corrupt nature of law enforcement using their own words, as well as result in possibly humiliation, firings, and possible charges against several officers, but that it will also disrupt and sabotage their ability to communicate and terrorize communities,” Pastebin user Voice says in the group’s announcement.
“We have no sympathy for any of the officers or informants who may be endangered by the release of their personal information,” Voice says in the release. “For too long they have been using and abusing our personal information, spying on us, arresting us, beating us, and thinking that they can get away with oppressing us in secrecy. Well it’s retribution time: we want them to experience just a taste of the kind of misery and suffering they inflict upon us on an everyday basis.”
It can be difficult to tell where the line is between digital protest and cyber crime, but when Aononymous makes statements like this it makes the whole “we’re doing this to fix injustice” thing a little less believable. This sounds more like old-fashioned revenge.
The group appears to have big plans for the remainder of the year, it ends its announcement calling for hackers to join the cause to “make 2011 the year of leaks and revolutions.”