There is one crucial rule for self preservation if you are a member of Anonymous: stay anonymous. In Spain, three hackers have failed to do just that, and have been arrested for their attacks on the PSN, banks and several government websites.
A Spanish National Police statement said that three members of Anonymous were arrested in Barcelona, Valencia and Almeria, but they were not named. The suspects were called “leaders of the Spanish section” of Anonymous, but due to the fact Anonymous has no centralized command, it is more likely they mean key and influential members of the group. Spain’s National Police claim the arrests have “dismantled the dome for network hackers in Spain,” with the the main server in country having been seized.
The head of the Technological Investigation Brigade (BIT) said (translated):
In the network part from normal people to other more qualified women who serve as stewards of the [IRC] chats that voted on the targets of attacks.
Spanish police specializing in cyber crime analyzed more than two million lines of online chat and Internet pages to find the suspected criminals. The detainees could face charges of conspiracy, punishable by sentences ranging from 2 to 3 years in prison.
NATO recently commented on Anonymous, saying that “the longer these attacks persist the more likely countermeasures will be developed, implemented, the groups will be infiltrated and perpetrators persecuted.”
Anonymous replied:
Finally, do not make the mistake of challenging Anonymous. Do not make the mistake of believing you can behead a headless snake. If you slice off one head of Hydra, ten more heads will grow in its place. If you cut down one Anon, ten more will join us purely out of anger at your trampling of dissent.
This will come as welcome news to Sony, who are still beleaguered by attacks on other Sony sites, such as Sony Music, from groups such as LulzSec.
[Via]
