Hackers take over law enforcement websites

[bathroommonkey76]

BOSTON (AP) — The hacking collective Anonymous is claiming credit for defacing the Boston Police Department's website, part of a string of online attacks around the world being attributed to the group.

A message posted on the website Friday said, "Anonymous hacks Boston Police website in retaliation for police brutality at OWS," apparently a reference to the Occupy Wall Street movement. A police spokesman would not confirm Anonymous was responsible.

In Salt Lake City, police say hackers who attacked the department's website on Tuesday gained access to sensitive data, including citizen complaints about drug crimes, including phone numbers, addresses and other personal information.

The attacks come after Anonymous published a recording of a phone call between the FBI and Scotland Yard early Wednesday, gloating in a Twitter message that "the FBI might be curious how we're able to continuously read their internal comms for some time now."

More here:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iG8mOcRgTqPjl5teOQF0HV_DeXEQ?docId=e139a6587d8d4230bd77c98fcf4d77d8

[tawadi]

1. Wow

That must be interesting.

[KansDem]

2. Perhaps it's time for the nation's police departments to make a deal...

Swear (or affirm) the following:

1) We will not tase or pepperspray peaceful demonstrators practicing their First Amendment rights;
2) We will not gang up on one "suspect" in a 6:1 ratio (six cops on one "suspect&quot to slug, kick, smack, hit him/her repeatedly;
3) We will not summarily execute anyone we are "arresting" like we did in Fullerton and on BART;
4) We will not tell a crowd to disperse while at the same time keeping its members from leaving so we can arrest them for "not dispersing";
5) We will not plant false contraband, i.e., drugs, on innocent citizens so we can arrest them;
6) We will not "drop" untraceable 38-Specials at crime scenes to justify the above five scenarios.

...then Anonymous might be receptive to a request to end the hacking.

[bathroommonkey76]

3. Anonymous'

reach goes beyond OWS.

[99th_Monkey]

4. I must say, I have mixed feelings about this.

If I put shoe on other foot, how would i feel if the Koch brothers hired hackers to "take down" DU, Raw Story,
OpEdNews, et. al.?

The progressive movement has been up in arms fighting to "keep the internet free" from interference and censorship
by authorities; and I think it's a little disingenuous for progressives to applaud Anon. hackers disrupting Righties
use of the internet.

I'd be interested in hearing how others feel about this. I'm not totally fixed in this point of view, but still .. there's
a part of me that feels this way and I just had to say it.

[izquierdista]

5. The monied can hire the stupid, but not the smart

Hackers smart enough to do take downs are also probably smart enough to figure out a what is in their best interests. Right wingers and the 1% have to rely on their stupids in law enforcement to defend them. Stupids who will never know what the 1% did with their pensions when it isn't there for them to collect.

[Robb]

6. There are plenty of evil fuckers who are also clever.

I have a lifetime of experience that tells me so.

Evil is not stupid.

[izquierdista]

11. I'm all for the Kochs hiring evil fuckers

Maybe these two evil fuckers


You know, it occurs to me that the best way you hurt rich people is by turning them into poor people.
--Billy Ray Valentine

[99th_Monkey]

7. I tend to agree with Robb

But actually my concern wasn't so much about whether the RW nutjob hackers are ineffectual, but whether it's
a good idea to launch cyber attacks on RWers, cops, FBI on the one hand, while also insisting on a free and
accessible internet "for everyone".

I have no doubt if RW hackers were attacking DU (and maybe they already are, and DU has been holding them
at bay) that we'd be all up in ourselves about what a dastardly stunt to pull, etc.

[frylock]

8. if administrators of DU were engaging in acts of brutality, then yeah..

i wouldn't shed a tear if hackers took this place down. but they're not, which makes your analogy misguided.

[OnyxCollie]

9. Well,

DU did go down the day Anonymous said they would take down Koch-affiliated websites.

We were told it was just some silly mix-up, so stop asking questions.

Nothing to see here. Move along now.

[Kelvin Mace]

10. Already happening

the just aren't very good at it.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/02/09/942364/-BUSTED:-Anonymous-Uncovers-Corporate-Proposal-to-Take-Down-Wikileaks