June 28, 2020
Buried in the million plus recently leaked police documents, was an analysis of both LulzSec and Anonymous. This was part of Joint Intelligence Bulletin dated January 12 2012. Here, both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assess both groups, their capabilities, and ways to mitigate their threat.
Members of Anonymous and LulzSec have demonstrated the will and capability to follow through on threats to conduct illegal cyber attacks against private sector and government organizations by temporarily disrupting services and extracting sensitive data from their targets.
Source: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x7x2m7qC_g5FiDL7Q_MSSJpFA46qezIl/view?usp=sharing
What’s interesting is how the report compares and contrasts both groups in terms of perceived abilities,
Some members of LulzSec have demonstrated moderately higher levels of skill and creativity than their Anonymous counterparts, as evidenced in attacks using combinations of methods and techniques to target multiple networks.
Source: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x7x2m7qC_g5FiDL7Q_MSSJpFA46qezIl/view?usp=sharing
The report goes on the mention both groups made heavy use of DDOS attacks and SQL injections.
The reports also gives tips for how to prevent against cyber attacks, and warns about downloading anything related to Anonymous, as it may contain malware.
This shows both the FBI and DHS not only saw Anonymous and LulzSec as a threat, they were actively monitoring them. According to the report, the Office of Intelligence and Analysis and the National Protection and Programs Directorate were tasked with monitoring these groups and alerting potential targets:
The Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) and the National Protection and Programs Directorate will continue to monitor illegal cyber threat activity related to Anonymous and LulzSec and will ensure federal, state, and local officials, as well as private sector owners and operators of CIKR, are kept informed of the groups’ illicit activities and the evolving nature of their cyber tactics.
Source: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x7x2m7qC_g5FiDL7Q_MSSJpFA46qezIl/view?usp=sharing
As for the FBI, the report indicates at the time they had arrested 16 hackers domestically in the US, and 15 internationally. Important to note, this quote also refers to the groups directly as cyber criminals.
The FBI continues to coordinate with international partners in an ongoing investigation targeting cyber criminals associated with the hacktivist groups Anonymous and LulzSec. The FBI has made 16 arrests and conducted over 75 searches in the United States, and international partners have made an additional 15 arrests. Law enforcement authorities will continue to take action against these cyber criminals.
Source: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x7x2m7qC_g5FiDL7Q_MSSJpFA46qezIl/view?usp=sharing
This should come as no surprise to members of either group. None of this is new news. The FBI arrested a member of LulzSec in 2011, and the US attorney issued a press release in response to his sentencing in 2014. The press release also states that the FBI and New York’s Cyber Crime Unit were involved in the investigation.
However, these recently leaked documents give further insight into how law enforcement perceived either group, and their capabilities. It is further proof that the government is in fact monitoring activists and keeping tabs on them.
Article by: Mark Slapinski
View or Download Raw Documents
Disclaimer: Access to these files is for educational purposes only. These files were originally made public by Anonymous at hunter.ddosecrets.com/datasets/102 and have since been publicly distributed on every social media channel including Reddit and Twitter by users worldwide.
- Google Drive - View or Download
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x7x2m7qC_g5FiDL7Q_MSSJpFA46qezIl/view?usp=sharing - File Dropper - Download
http://www.filedropper.com/097