Anonops #14: All about control

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World Bank contract details to be published online in transparency push

Bank's capacity development arm promises to open its books on publicly funded contracts as part of global anti-corruption drive

Details of World Bank-financed contracts will be available online as part of a global initiative to fight corruption and get governments to disclose their deals with private companies.

Sanjay Pradhan, vice-president of the World Bank Institute – the capacity development branch of the World Bank – said the organisation would "walk the talk", ensuring its own contracts are disclosed while helping countries open their books. "We need to be credible partners to do this," he said.

The move will embolden the nascent Open contracting initiative, a global campaign to increase disclosure and participation in public contracting. Estimates suggest governments around the world spend $9.5tn (£5.8tn) a year contracting private companies to provide goods and services, but these deals are often shrouded in secrecy. In some developing countries, procurement can account for up to 70% of public spending.

Under the initiative, details and copies of contracts funded by public money will be online in a bid to reduce corruption and increase value for money.

"Corruption, opaque contracting processes and poor oversight of contract implementation are undermining results and citizens are paying the price in terms of schools not being built, environmental damage, bridges not fixed to standard and hospitals unable to offer necessary medicines," says the campaign, arguing that "creating a level playing field with transparent and fair contracting processes … benefits all of society – government, private sector and citizens."

Pradhan said the effort, which is backed by the World Bank Institute and the German government, fits into the bank's anti-corruption work and its broader "open development" agenda, both of which have support from the very top of the bank.

"It's inherent in our DNA that we cannot tolerate corruption, we cannot tolerate any kind of blemish to the reputation of the bank on the fiduciary side," said Pradhan. "It's a natural evolution for the World Bank and the bank needs to play a leadership role in this area."

The bank finances public contracts worth up to $13bn each year. It already publishes some information for its major contracts but would release further details under the Open contracting initiative, which aims for the disclosure of all relevant documents, from pre-award activities through to the awarding of contracts and the implementation of projects.

Pradhan said the bank would also disclose contracts for its central, corporate procurement and that the International Finance Corporation, the bank's private-sector lending arm, is phasing in new requirements to disclose contracts for extractive industries projects (video).

The initiative builds on recent efforts by some governments to increase transparency around contracts. Georgia, for example, publishes all information around public contracts, including correspondence around original bids and details of payments from the state treasury. This month the Afghan government disclosed hundreds of mining contracts online.

Yama Torabi, from Integrity Watch Afghanistan, an NGO that monitors reconstruction projects in the country, welcomed the move. "This is the first time we can see how our natural resources have been contracted to private companies. We can now look at whether this was done in the national interest, for the benefit of the people," he said.

Torabi, who was in Johannesburg this week for the first Open contracting global meeting, said it will take years to roll out the initiative, which must find a way to include information about sub-contracts. "We really need to see who's getting the money at the end of the chain," he said. He added that a lack of literacy skills, reliable electricity and internet access will in some areas limit the initiative's promise to strengthen public monitoring of contracts.

One of the biggest challenges in achieving full disclosure of contracts will be the resistance of companies that claim such moves violate commercial confidentiality. Peter Eigen, founder of Transparency International, said that although companies have the right to secrecy when contracting with each other, "different rules have to apply" when a government is party to a contract. Eigen added that confidentiality clauses are often overprotective and "sloppily written", and must be subject to scrutiny.

Increased transparency alone is unlikely to satisfy critics of the World Bank, who say the lender's procurement rules favour big companies from industrialised and emerging economies. "A lack of transparency in tendering, tendering in large lots, and restrictive eligibility criteria make it difficult for small and medium enterprises from developing countries to compete against large multinationals," said a group of civil society organisations (pdf) last month.

This year, the bank launched a separate review of its procurement policies, which is expected to lead to new rules in 2014.

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Operation ‘Vendetta’ has begun

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In the final scene of the film ‘V for Vendetta’ (2006), based on the graphic novel by Brits Alan Moore and David Lloyd, Evey Hammond, played by Natalie Portman, at the point of starting a civil revolution in the centre of London, states, in reference to the English parliament that “this country needs more than a building, it needs hope”.

Inspired by this revolt, Anonymous UK have organised their Operation Vendetta in front of the houses of Parliament for 5th November, which aims to remind the government that “if they put too much pressure on, revolution is inevitable” and that justice, impartiality and freedom “are more than just words”.

So that citizens do not put up with the abuse or forget the government cuts, Anonymous UK have organised this protest in front of Westminster to denounce the executive’s actions that have damaged society.

Before the march takes place, the organisation will develop different actions throughout the month of October in order to mobilise the people for their initiative.

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Israeli Police disconnects its computer network from the web to prevent cyber attack

Israel was facing an increasing number of cyber attacks, various government agencies have been under a cyber attack for a week. The attack results in extraordinary decision to disconnect all the police's computers from the Internet. The Israel police ordered all officers to disconnect their computer network from the web.

The police also issued a warning all relevant parties to avoid inserting external drives and CDs into any computer linked to the system.

. “The only reason for disconnecting the computers from the internet is the apparent concern that information would be leaked." says Roni Mecher, manager of the cyber field at Avnet Information Security.

. "This is not a simple thing to carry out, and it's only implemented in acute situations where there's genuine concern of leaking information and utilizing such a Trojan horse planted in the network, one way or another"

Currently, the investigation is underway to determine whether the malware successfully entered the computer network and whether any damage has been caused.

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Interviews with Hackers: Today, interview with PrOtOn_An0n

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Hello EHN Readers, Today we interviewed Anonymous Hacker "PrOtOn_An0n", who take down several Child porn sites. Recently, he take down 89 cp sites. You can find him here @PrOtOn_An0n

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Anonymous hacks 20 million accounts to promote Operation Jubilee



Anonymous hackers claimed that they compromise over 20 million user accounts worldwide this year to promote Operation Jubilee. Large community web sites were targeted to gain access to users' contact information. Many administrators denied that their databases were at risk while all their data was being downloaded. The reason for one of the largest hacking campaigns in history is to rally people to cancel debt and end the economic crisis.

Earlier this month Operation Jubilee came into public view after defacing several popular police forums. Members of the police forums received e-mail inviting them to join the Operation. News of the defaces spread quickly with the help of social media platforms. Until these events, Operation Jubilee was virtually unknown to the general population. Unbeknownst to the public, large web sites were already being attacked for months.



Operation Jubilee is a peaceful protest to take place on the 5th of November in front of Parliament in London. Millions of people have received e-mail messages containing the Rules of Engagement for the Operation. Controversy has sparked around the declaration that protesters will confiscate any weapons that are used against them. The Rules of Engagement state that anyone, protester or police, that causes violence will be subdued.
The stated goal of Operation Jubilee is to cancel all debt. Anonymous has become aware of the collective's potential for social change and is now actively pursuing campaigns for justice. The reason to cancel all debt is to end the economic crisis, end poverty, and cut off the financing for the wars.

The name Anonymous has become synonymous with hacking and protest, but it is difficult to define Anonymous. Many people think of it as an organization, but Anonymous is not organized anyone can become Anonymous by being Anonymous. Anonymous is the idea that anyone can become the change they want to see in the world by hiding their identity.

Recent Hacks under Operation Jubilee:
1.) Anonymous deface UK Police forum and Dating Portal
2.) #OpJubilee - Anonymous Hackers deface UK police forums

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http://www.anonpaste.me/a(...)46UElidVHWqL/lUNV+0=

"Look, the people you are after are the people you depend on: we cook your meals, we haul your trash, we connect your calls, we drive your ambulances, we guard you while you sleep. Do not fuck with us." -Tyler Durden, Fight Club

Greetings citizens of the world
Greetings citizens of Greece
We are anonymous.

The Greek government is prepared to testify to a vote in the Greek Parliament the new package of economic austerity measures of 13.5 billion euros which are expected to prolong the recession in Greece.

Under the austerity measures, pensioners have seen a 60 percent fall in their pensions - meaning their life savings are now less than half what they expected. Meanwhile, the government is considering more cuts, raising the retirement age and putting a cap on free healthcare provision of just ¤1,500 per person per year.

Greece used to have one of the lowest suicide rates in the EU but since 2010, the number of people taking their own lives has increased by 40 percent, with a large proportion from the older generation.

Sixty-eight percent of Greece's population living below the at-risk-of poverty rate (ie, having an income below 60 percent of the national median) were spending over 40 percent of their income on rent or mortgage payments.

More than 439,000 underage children are living below poverty level in Greece due to the ongoing crisis, according to a UNICEF report released on Oct. 16 on the occasion of the World Feed Day 2012 and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

The popularity of far right parties, including the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn, has risen in tandem.

Your goverment failed you.

Greek citizens, it's time to revolt. Do it while you can. Stick it to the Man. You must resist. We stand by your side.

We gained full access to the Greek Ministry of Finance. Those funky IBM servers don't look so safe now, do they...

We have new guns in our arsenal. A sweet 0day SAP exploit is in our hands and oh boy we're gonna sploit the hell out of it. Respectz to izl the dog for that perl candy. We retrieved confidential goverment documents, credentials etc.

*************************************************************** https://anonfiles.com/file/5c9fa9402e62bffd2f569ac3d118fbcd *************************************************************** https://anonfiles.com/file/a50145cddeb310ad8250c6c97d569887 ***************************************************************

Citizens of Greece you are paying Banks and international hedge funds. They own your lives. Revolt before it's too late.

The austerity measures should not pass.

We need to say no more.

“We are Anonymous.
We are Legion.
We do not forgive.
We do not forget.
Expect us.”

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Canadees parlement verbiedt dragen masker bij betoging

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Het Canadese parlement heeft woensdag een wetsvoorstel goedgekeurd waarin betogers die een masker dragen, kans lopen op een gevangenisstraf van maximaal 10 jaar. De wet werd uitgerekend in stemming gebracht tijdens Halloween, het in Canada uitbundig gevierde feest waarbij het dragen van een masker tot de goede gewoonten wordt gerekend.

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Auteursrechtenzaak levert recordboete op: tien pornofilms voor 1,5 miljoen dollar

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De zaak was voor Flava Works eenvoudig hard te maken. Met de code die in de video’s is verwerkt, konden de gedeelde films makkelijk naar de Amerikaan worden getraceerd. Bovendien heeft hij, door een betaald account af te sluiten bij het bedrijf, ingestemd met de gebruiksvoorwaarden van Flava Works, waarin staat dat het delen van gekochte films verboden is. De Flava-films die F. deelde zijn volgens Flava Works 3.449 keer gedownload.

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Veel van dit soort auteursrechtenzaken zijn de afgelopen tijd vroegtijdig afgebroken in de VS, omdat een federale rechter oordeelde dat een IP-adres niet genoeg was om iemand te veroordelen, terwijl veel zaken daar wel op gebaseerd zijn.

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Transcript Leaked Files ~~ “Facebook & Zynga” hacked | #Anonymous #OPmaZYNGA – Phase 1 – Started!

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Zynga customers and Facebook users , We are anonymous . During the last few days anonymous has been targeting Zynga for the outrageous treatment of their employees and their actions against many developers .

We have come to believe that this actions of Zynga will result in massive layoff of a thousand people and legal actions against everyone that speaks to the public about this plan.

It will also come to end of the US game market as we know it as all this jobs will be replaced in other more convenient financial countries.

With a billion dollars cash sitting in a bank we do believe that such actions are an insult to the population and the behaviour of corporations like Zynga must change.

Anonymous could not allow this to happen so it’s starting to release confidential documents we have leaked on this plan

As we speak we are planning to release also all the games we’ve taken from their servers for free.

That being said we will stop the idea of the distribution of such games if Zynga will cease immediately the plan.

The leaked strategy of Zynga , transcript:

Following the preliminary announced of this week the final strategy for the next two quarters has been successfully set to delivery by november 23 an additional but of 800 jobs with further raising of new capital from the market to support businesses.

We’ve identified our global gambling strategy with bwin.party and as we speak discussions are progressing with a partner to cover the US market.

Work is focused and on-going to completely outsource our development teams in our offices in Bangalore , India to hedge our position in the long term.

We’ve identified key new products from third parties such as Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime , Shove Prod and Music Invaders in which we are starting business contacts to buy these IP for transaction value of approximately 20 million.

We strongly believe we will conclude these deals this month and compete with this titles against mobile competitors with ease.

Our business continues to evolve and we must evolve with it. We operate in a exciting and challenging industry and I am very pleased that our senior leadership team continue to strengthen and develop with us.

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Op zaterdag 3 november 2012 11:43 schreef AchJa het volgende:
Het Project

Begin 2011 las filmmaker Peter Vlemmix een bericht over mobiele naakt-scanners in Nederlandse steden.
Voor hem het zoveelste bericht over de aantasting van privacy,
en het moment dat hij daar een film over wilde gaan maken.

Echter, filmen kost geld, en budget was er nauwelijks.
Maar door de geweldige belangeloze inzet van crewleden en een aantal sponsors,
is het stapje voor stapje gelukt om de docu verder te ontwikkelen.

Nu is hij af.

We hopen dat je hem cool vind.

Het team van Panopticon

http://panopticondefilm.nl/

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Skype verstrekt gegevens 16-jarige aan beveiligingsbedrijf

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Skype verstrekte persoonsgegevens van een 16-jarige jongen aan een bedrijf dat ermee naar de politie stapte.

Dat blijkt uit het dossier van het strafrechtelijk onderzoek naar de aanvallen op diverse financiële instellingen in 2010. NU.nl heeft dat dossier ingezien.

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De gang van zaken tijdens het onderzoek verbaast Gerrit-Jan Zwenne, hoogleraar recht en informatiesamenleving in Leiden en advocaat bij Bird & Bird te Den Haag.

"Opmerkelijk. Je zou verwachten dat abonnee-gegevens niet zomaar worden prijsgegeven. De gegevens moeten worden verstrekt als de politie een geldige vordering heeft, of als de rechter het opdraagt. Anders niet", vertelt hij aan NU.nl.

twitter:

exiledsurfer twitterde op zondag 04-11-2012 om 23:07:31 #Anonymous Remember, Remember, the 5th of November. RT @rober1236Jua: #OperationVendetta to enact end of V in London http://t.co/jieIEz2u reageer retweet

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Okay I am not entirely sure how subversive an event planned on Facebook can be, but the Operation Vendetta Facebook page has over 5,000 people confirmed to go. Almost another 2,000 likely to attended.

The event is scheduled for November 5, 2012. I have read different times on Twitter and Facebook, probably between 5 and 6 PM. A flyer that has been going around London for some time said Trafalgar Square but they are not that far apart.

This is clearly a serious effort by Anonymous UK, who ever they are. Last month an attack on the Conservative Foundation Web Site also mentioned details about the event. That post called on people to assemble at Trafalgar and move towards Parliament. It could be the largest flash mob in history. The idea seems to be to act out the closing sequences of the V for Vendetta movie, which included the exploding of Parliament. I profoundly doubt the halls of Parliament are going to be blown up, but I suspect someone will try to play the 1812 Overture.

twitter:

AnonymousWWN twitterde op zondag 04-11-2012 om 23:32:29 LIVE STREAMING ON THE 5TH OF NOVEMBER 6PM EXPECT US http://t.co/MtFtYVAB #OpVendetta Remember Remember the 5th of November #UK #Anonymous reageer retweet

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Anonymous hacking spree hits PayPal, Symantec

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The press arm for Anonymous has announced that it has begun its hacking spree for the 5th of November -- Guy Fawkes Day -- and claims to have dumped user and employee account information on accounts from PayPal, Symantec, Australian government Web sites and much more.

Monday's main focus seems to be an anti-surveillance protest -- as with the recent Anonymous October 20 protest -- with November 5th intent aimed at surveillance systems such as TrapWire and INDECT.

Trapwire and INDECT's opponents believe that the surveillance systems to be direct threats to privacy and certain civil freedoms and that their implementation could constitute human rights violations.

According to the various Anonymous Twitter accounts announcing the hacks and linking to document dumps, this is just the beginning of doc dumps and defacements for its day of protest. News of the protest is being shared on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Pastebin.

The hacktivists have also included in its Nov. 5th announcements tonight the hacking and defacement of Australian government sites, ImageShack and PayPal (claiming a zero day exploit), Ascension Australia, NBC.com and Lady Gaga's fan site (claimed for the spree by "Pyknic"), Saturday Night Live's Web site, Australian steel and mining company Arcelor Mittal, homewares website GiftNow, the Greek City website, the Ghana Consulate Web site, and claim to have leaked VMware ESX Server Kernel source code via twitter today.

Anonymous Australia seems to be the most active at this time.

At the same time, the press arm for Anonymous has announced -- via a press release on Pastebin -- that it is rallying the public for an in-person V For Vendetta protest at The Houses of Parliament, at 8 p.m. in London.

Protesters in Canada will get a rude surprise if they don Guy Fawkes masks -- because last week Canada's House of Commons approved a bill that bans people from hiding their faces during riots.

We're watching and following the developments as they happen.
And right now they're happening fast -- and furiously.

twitter:

Theurgia_Goetia twitterde op maandag 05-11-2012 om 11:39:12 Don't forget! #TYLER will be out today! Gather your leaks! #Anonymous reageer retweet

twitter:

SmileAndSubvert twitterde op maandag 05-11-2012 om 19:56:05 There's a good 200 - 300 people in Trafalgar Square for #opvendetta #opjubilee http://t.co/CGfyW7PJ reageer retweet

twitter:

politicshomeuk twitterde op maandag 05-11-2012 om 21:16:55 Police line closing parliament square at #Anonymous protest http://t.co/PkG94oXy reageer retweet

twitter:

savetheearth5 twitterde op dinsdag 06-11-2012 om 00:00:33 5th of November is trending :-)Cool one just before I say goodnight everybody!!! #5Nov reageer retweet

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november 5th #OpVendetta march on parliament - report & pics

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at 6pm, the steps of trafalgar square were full of masked anons, and numbers built up to spill into the square. police and "heritage wardens" watched as various square bye-laws were transgressed, with some commercial photography, lots of banners and protest, some singing, music and games, and even some fire-eating and juggling (all things prohibited by the bizarrely draconian rules covering this "private" public space).

at around 7.30, anons climbed the ledges around the base of nelson's column, and this then became the focus for the crowd, which at its peak might have numbered close to a thousand.

around 8pm, the group set off towards parliament, taking over whitehall to the familiar chants of "whose streets, our streets". along the way, they paused to allow a giant 'anonymous' banner and some disabled people to lead the protest into the square.

police formed a line, forcing people to pass around them. their idea seemed to be to prevent traffic disruption to certain routes, but it looked as though they had accepted that the main road in front of parliament would be closed and traffic was obviously being managed to facilitate this.

there was also a line of police along the fences and gates of parliament, and the crowd surged right up to them, with some people attempting to attach the anon banners to the fences.

there were some scuffles over by the abbey between masked protestors and a FIT team. this led to a sit-down at that corner, which resulted in traffic being turned back along the embankment and then managed again to avoid the square.

as two politicians were accompanied out of parliament, police surged forward to clear the pavement in front of parliament and there were some minor confrontations during that process.

there was also some scuffling and, i think, one arrest, when a small group of people tried to scale the fences.

otherwise, the proceedings remained cheerful, peaceful, and reasonably unhindered. however, my feeling was that the protest was being "facilitated" or tolerated, but the police had huge re-inforcements nearby, two helicopters above, and manifestly visible and audible attack dogs within the grounds of westminster, so were in complete control at all times.

numbers started to dwindle after 9pm, and it's been reported that legal observers left around 11pm as less than a hundred people remained outside parliament.

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D66 wil opheldering over opvragen persoonsgegevens Skype

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De Tweede Kamerleden Kees Verhoeven en Gerard Schouw (D66) willen opheldering van de ministers Opstelten (Veiligheid en Justitie) en Kamp (Economische Zaken) over het opvragen van persoonsgegevens door de overheid. Aanleiding is het nieuws dat videobeldienst Skype ongevraagd gegevens van een toen 16-jarige Nederlandse gebruiker aan het particuliere beveiligingsbedrijf iSIGHT zou hebben doorgespeeld.

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De zaak houdt verband met Operation Payback van internetcollectief Anonymous. Daarbij werden in 2010 de netwerken van onder andere PayPal en Mastercard platgelegd omdat zij weigerden de betalingen voor klokkenluiderssite WikiLeaks te verwerken. PayPal had Joep Gommers van iSIGHT ingehuurd om onderzoek te doen naar de aanvallen. Via een chatkanaal stuitte die op Nederlanders die bij de aanvallen betrokken zouden zijn, onder wie 'Jeroenz0r', die in december 2010 werd gearresteerd. Via Skype had Gommers inloggegevens en persoonsgegevens van de toen 16-jarige Nederlander te achterhalen, zo blijkt volgens nu.nl uit het politiedossier.

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MJM as Personified Evil Says Spyware Saves Lives Not Kills Them

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In the secretive world of surveillance technology, he goes just by his initials: MJM.

His mystique is such that other security professionals avoid using wireless Internet near him. MJM himself suggests that those he meets allay their paranoia by taking batteries out of their mobile phones.

MJM -- Martin J. Muench -- is the developer of Andover, U.K.-based Gamma Group’s FinFisher intrusion software, which he sells to police and spy agencies around the world for monitoring computers and smartphones to intercept Skype calls, peer through Web cameras and record keystrokes.

In the past year, the hacker-turned-executive has himself been under attack as the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings unravelled the cloak of secrecy he’d operated behind.

FinFisher’s once-elusive FinSpy tool has been exposed targeting activists from the Persian Gulf kingdom of Bahrain; decoded for the first time by computer-virus hunters; placed under export control by the U.K.; and traced to countries with poor human rights records, such as Turkmenistan in Central Asia.

As evidence mounts that repressive regimes routinely use surveillance gear to track and capture dissidents, FinSpy has been singled out as one of the most invasive weapons. The attention has subjected Muench to death threats, he says, and government scrutiny.

It’s against this backdrop -- which Muench, 31, calls a “witch hunt” -- that he’s decided to explain himself, opening his Munich offices to a journalist.

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Open Internet Tools Project

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Anonymous May Have Hacked Petraeus Mistress

Broadwell's personal email appears on a list of compromised accounts of the commercial intelligence firm Stratfor.

A Yahoo email account belonging to former CIA Director David Petraeus' mistress may have been compromised by the group Anonymous.

The personal email account, which other sources confirmed belongs to the writer and veteran at the heart of this week's Washington scandal, was revealed in the decentralized online group's publication of millions of email accounts of customers of the commercial intelligence company STRATFOR.

The email appears on a listing of accounts obtained by the group after they hacked and stole credit cards from the company. Anonymous also obtained email logins to STRATFOR's website — which potentially could have been used by Paula Broadwell for email or other secure sites — as well as correspondence.

It is not clear what, if any, information belonging to Broadwell may have been obtained by the Internet-based group, whose members style themselves "hacktivists" but whom authorities have pursued on a variety of charges.

Broadwell was reportedly under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for allegedly trying to obtain access to the retired general's classified emails.

Broadwell's account, a derivation of her name, was also tweeted by the author and has been posted alongside a posting advertising that she was looking to interview high ranking women in the military. A Washington, D.C. political operative also confirmed that he had corresponded with Broadwell on that account.

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OSCE Vienna (REPRISE)

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If you have followed the previous OSCE release, you will have seen the article Jeffrey Carr wrote. Today we were notified that OSCE has shutdown its Austrian servers after the article was published.

Frane Maroevic, Deputy Head of Press and Information for the OSCE stated that "due to the sensitivity of the issue, the OSCE was unable to comment any further". Let us comment then, with another 55mb of internal documents from OSCE Vienna, dating upto today (November 11th), two days after the publication of Jeffrey's article. Again, many of the documents are marked as restricted; for example the report on "Efforts in the field of arms control agreements and confidence– and security–building measures" (PDF, 150kb) which concludes unsurrisingly that the meeting's result was "below expectations".

We can't help to notice the irony of this release, as the OSCE is currently running a program to train Ukrainian police in Cybercrime (translation). Maybe the OSCE can include this incident in their program.

The source of the data has provided a statement along with the files. As usual, feel free to browse the files using the links below. Most documents are English, some Russian; many restricted and you'll find things like scans of diplomatic passports as well.

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Twitter pedophile targets #Anonymous with child porn spam:

Anonymous has gotten a lot of attention this year for its actions against online pedophiles, with OpPedoChat to take them off Twitter, OpLiberation to protect abused kids in abusive schools and homes, OpYoungPony for junior Bronies, OpLithChild to rescue a Lithuanian girl they claim is being prostituted to well-connected men, and OpDarkNet, the granddaddy of anti-pedo ops.

Now, it’s gotten the attention of a pedophile (or pedo-supporter) on Twitter. A user wielding a series of as many as 13 accounts, all variants on the username @amj_o, spent a busy three hours this morning tweeting child pornography images, in between threats against the hacktivist collective. The user is apparently angry about Anonymous’ anti-pedophile activities.

The posts came rapid-fire, several times a minute, indicating either bots or a very fleet-fingered person using an app which enables posting across multiple accounts, and they continue intermittently to the time of this writing.

“CONTINUE OR YOU SAY I"M SORRY? #preteen #pthc #preteen #pthc #pedo #Anonymous #Anti_Anonymous @Angel_Anon @AnonymousGrupo” tweeted one of the accounts.

Anonymous wasn’t taking that lying down. While some angry Anons tweeted horrified remarks at the offending accounts, others followed the recommended procedure, which is to report such accounts to cp@Twitter.com and block them. Others took it philosophically, as an obvious trolling attempt, albeit more loathsome than usual.

“Tut tut tut. Idiots trying to associate #Anonymous with childporn. This will only lead to serious butthurtness ;-) me thinks. #EpicFail” tweeted AnonPsyOps, who’s seen it all before.

Indeed, it is almost certainly only a matter of time until the accounts are suspended. It’s only almost because Fawkes Security, which tweeted bomb threats prior to the election, was not suspended. Some Anons are claiming that it and other Anon-antagonizing accounts which appear immune to suspension must therefore be Feds. And the accounts are not suspended at the moment, although they are no longer tweeting the offensive material. They may only be in Twitter Jail, a temporary suspension that kicks in when an account exceeds a certain number of tweets over an hour.

For now, the #Anonymous hashtag is not exactly the wholesome playground of Lulz and revolution that it normally is. Meanwhile, life goes on in the Anonyverse.

“#OpPedoChat I have exposed and reported 42 pedophiles in less than 24 hours https://pastee.org/3qsfn #Anonymous #ExpectUs” said @Data_Overflow.

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Police accused of over-zealous reaction to poppy burning

Teenager from Canterbury detained after reportedly posting image on Facebook of a remembrance poppy being set alight

The arrest of a teenager on suspicion of posting a picture of a burning poppy on Facebook has triggered fresh allegations of over-zealous policing of the internet.

The 19-year-old was detained on Remembrance Sunday in Canterbury, Kent, after the posting of the image of a poppy being torched by a lighter was reported.

Kent police confirmed that a youth was in custody and being questioned under the Malicious Communications Act 1988. The act makes it a crime to send anything "indecent or grossly offensive, or which conveys a threat … [where] there is an intent to cause distress or anxiety to the recipient". It is usually used against poison pen letters.

The Crown Prosecution Service is drawing up draft guidelines on when to prosecute those who misuse social media websites.

Kent police said officers had been alerted at 4pm on Sunday to the image, which was accompanied by an offensive message, reported to be: "How about that you squadey c****."

Civil liberties groups criticised the arrest as a restriction on freedom of expression. The campaign group Big Brother Watch called on the police to drop their investigation. Nick Pickles, the director, said: "Kent police need to urgently release this man and drop an utterly ridiculous investigation into something that has harmed no one.

"It is not illegal to offend people and, however idiotic or insensitive the picture may have been, it is certainly not worthy of arrest. The case highlights the urgent need to reform a law that poses a serious risk to freedom of speech after several ludicrous prosecutions in recent months."

On Twitter, there was widespread condemnation. Thom Lumley, tweeting as Hotstepperrr, wrote: "Dear idiots at Kent police, burning a poppy may be obnoxious, but it is not a criminal offence."

There have been prosecutions for similar offences. In March 2011, Emdadur Choudhury, a member of Muslims Against Crusades, was fined £50 at Belmarsh magistrates court for the "calculated and deliberate" insult to the dead of burning two replica poppies during the two-minute silence commemorating Armistice Day, 11 November. Choudhury had denied a public order offence of burning the poppies in a way likely to cause "harassment, harm or distress" to witnesses.

The Royal British Legion declined to comment on the investigation in Kent.

In September, the CPS gave a detailed explanation of why a semi-professional footballer who tweeted offensive messages about the Olympic diver Tom Daley was not prosecuted.

The CPS pointed out in that case the message, "however misguided" was supposed to be humorous and that Daley and his teammates were not the intended recipients.

In Bristol, a man who skateboarded alongside a Remembrance Sunday parade wearing a pink outfit and horned mask has been charged under the Public Order Act, police said. Jose Paulo Da Silveria, 38, is alleged to have skateboarded beside troops as they marched past the cenotaph towards College Green. He was arrested at the scene and will appear at Bristol magistrates court on 4 December.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 november 2012 03:26 schreef LelijKnap het volgende:
nee nja kvroeg me wel af of ie iets wilde zeggen... wt t is dat ie wilt overbrengen...mr tis gwn neutrale berichtgeving van zijn hand dus ?

quote:

The Future Of Hacktivism

quote:

After some high-profile arrests, hacker groups like Anonymous are changing the way they work. Asher Wolf interviews a former member of LulzSec about the future of hacktivism

quote:

The Kylie Chronicles: Anonymous vs. suicide trolls

quote:

Kylie Kylem is a 15-year-old high-school student and Twitter user, and she's in pain. For some "friends," that was enough reason to spend a few hours on social media trying to encourage her to commit suicide. That's when Anonymous stepped in and the trolls quickly learned what it meant to anger the Internet.

quote:

@YayyImKyliebaby We hate you just die... From sara, jesse, Hayley, Cat, Josh, becca and others

twitter:

GonzoPhD twitterde op woensdag 14-11-2012 om 08:32:13 @Hayley_Foster17 So,you think this is FUNNY?Let me introduce you to the REAL Internet Hate Machine, you dumb-ass bullying twats.Game: On. reageer retweet

quote:

The Hackers of Damascus

quote:

Much has been written about the rebellion in Syria: the protests, the massacres, the car bombs, the house-to-house fighting. Tens of thousands have been killed since the war began in early 2011. But the struggle for the future of the country has also unfolded in another arena—on a battleground of Facebook (FB) pages and YouTube accounts, of hacks and counterhacks. Just as rival armies vie for air superiority, the two sides of the Syrian civil war have spent much of the last year and a half locked in a struggle to dominate the Internet. Pro-government hackers have penetrated opposition websites and broken into the computers of Reuters (TRI) and Al Jazeera to spread disinformation. On the other side, the hacktivist group Anonymous has infiltrated at least 12 Syrian government websites, including that of the Ministry of Defense, and released millions of stolen e-mails.

The Syrian conflict illustrates the extent to which the very tools that rebels in the Middle East have employed to organize and sustain their movements are now being used against them. It provides a glimpse of the future of warfare, in which computer viruses and hacking techniques can be as critical to weakening the enemy as bombs and bullets. Over the past three months, I made contact with and interviewed by phone and e-mail participants on both sides of the Syrian cyberwar. Their stories shed light on a largely hidden aspect of a conflict with no end in sight—and show how the Internet has become a weapon of war.

quote:

Anonymous begint online kruistocht tegen Israël

quote:

Het hackerscollectief Anonymous heeft verschillende Israëlische overheidswebsites aangevallen. De computerkrakers steunen daarmee openlijk de Palestijnen in Gaza, die sinds woensdag opnieuw in een gewelddadige strijd met Israël zijn verwikkeld.

quote:

OpIsrael Info Update: 11/15

Intro:

For far to long, Anonymous has stood by with the rest of the world and watched in despair the barbaric, brutal and despicable treatment of the Palestinian people in the so called "Occupied Territories" by the Israel Defense Force. Like so many around the globe, we have felt helpless in the face of such implacable evil. And today's insane attack and threatened invasion of Gaza was more of the same.

Anonymous does not support violence by the IDF or by Palestinian Resistance/Hamas. Our concern is for the children of Israel and Palestinian Territories and the rights of the people in Gaza to maintain open lines of communication with the outside world.



#OpIsrael #GazaUnderAttack #Anonymous


* Post all relevant links and information that will be useful to people in Gaza during the Israeli attack/invasion.


Current Issues:
Arabic translations may be sloppy. Poor grammar. Needs repair.



OpIsrael Press Releases:

-- Nov 15th:

English: http://www.anonpaste.me/a(...)gb1nV5DwOZXdau60ajQ=

Arabic: http://www.anonpaste.me/a(...)3dT3OjDE+sDvuvuV1aQ=

Arabic (enhanced Version) : pic.twitter.com/n95pIURF

Enhanced Arabic Version: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A7wqaWjCcAAhPRc.jpg

Hebrew: http://www.anonpaste.me/a(...)/vKSbGhzS8cA/3zwJF8=

Anonymous Operation Israel - Gates Of Hell | Video -

OpIsrael - Gates of Hell

Restoring Internet Service:

#OpIsrael Care Package for Gaza (Full v1.5) Mediafire Mirror http://www.mediafire.com/?z8ev035mw482x77

#OpIsrael Care Package for Gaza (Mini v1.0) http://www.mediafire.com/?3jrur7krcuucjr7


Tails: https://tails.boum.org/

-- English:
Telecomix: http://pastebin.com/6dYQruHu
Movement.org: http://www.movements.org/(...)-connection-cut-off/
Telecomix Pastebin: http://pastebin.com/6dYQruHu

--- Arabic:
Telecomix: http://www.anonpaste.me/a(...)jxV0lNNnbdPQnx0uQRw=
Movement.org: http://www.anonpaste.me/a(...)UbHLRvoGcTwb4lcN7GQ=
Telecomix Pastebin: https://pad.riseup.net/p/FAqaSYWGCZYe
WIFI Range Extend - http://pastebin.com/Smkcg6TE
Hebrew: Translator Needed.



#OpIsrael Pads:

Anonymous Tango Down List: http://piratenpad.de/qQ8nmbLXj3



Live Actions/Demonstrations:

Emergency Global Actions List: https://docs.google.com/d(...)eview?pli=1&sle=true



Israeli Contact Info:

List of World-Wide Israeli Embassies via Anonymous: http://pastebin.com/4DM7cfqF



IRC Channels:

Telecomix IRC: https://chat.wnh.me/?channels=gaza&uio=d4
VoxAnon: irc.voxanon.net 6667/6697 SSL



Livestreams:

@HarryFear Livestream from Gaza: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/operation-pillar-of-cloud



Anonymous Carepackages:

#OpIsrael Care Package for Gaza (Full v1.5) Mediafire Mirror 11MB http://www.mediafire.com/?z8ev035mw482x77

#OpIsrael Care Package for Gaza (Mini v1.0) 1MB http://www.mediafire.com/?3jrur7krcuucjr7

TinyTor+Vidallia 8MB http://www.mediafire.com/?0rgv1vw1d2rqv5t

TinyTor 6MB http://www.mediafire.com/?cu6u9h916ny77a1

Tails: https://tails.boum.org/

Tweet (Arabic)
مجموعة ملفات مساعدة #عملية_اسرائيل #غزة_تحت_الهجوم #غزةhttp://bayfiles.com/file/(...)Package_For_Gaza.zip …



Cellphone Apps:

- http://hackerdemia.com/ Allows for mesh network connecting (if Gaza cell service is taken down, they can possibly access Egyptian towers.)

http://www.androidzoom.co(...)rval-mesh_bgstt.html Another mesh program. Requires root.

there will be networks deployed on the ground using openwrt http://wiki.openwrt.org/inbox/mesh.olsr, this is an app they can use if they want to make their phones part of that network http://www.olsr.org/?q=olsr_on_android



How To Use Twitter VIA Text Message:

Get Twitter messages redirected to your phone and send Tweets by text. Make sure to link your mobile phone to your Twitter account and locate the Twitter short code for your country. Then you can send a text message containing your Tweet to that short code and it will be posted to your profile.

Info: http://support.twitter.co(...)d-your-phone-via-sms
Palestinian Terrority Shortcodes:
Wataniya: 40404
Jawwal 37373

If you use one of the phone services listed above, text START to the shortcode to sign into your Twitter account.



Telecomix Dial Up Numbers:

Telecomix Dial up Numbers:

Important: The Telecomix dialups are not secure and do not protect from wiretapping of your communications. It is still important to proceed with precaution and encrypt the data.

Visit this link for dial up numbers:
http://www.cyberguerrilla.info/blog/?p=5077

Note: Since the number of lines is limited, do not use them if you don't need to!

- French free isp FDN (about 100 lines): +33172890150 (login/pass: toto/toto)

- German free Free.de (about 35 lines). +4923184048 (login/pass: telecomix/telecomix)

- Swedish isp Gotanet (about 30 lines atm, can expand services) : +46708671911 (login/pass: toto/toto)

- Belgium Edpnet: +32022750640 (login/pass: free.edpnet/ free)

- Netherlands Edpnet: +31676002000 (login/pass: free.edpnet/ free)

netherlands +31205350535 and the username/password are xs4all



Medical Info:

http://streetmed.wikidot.com/ -- Street Medic resources. Includes Arabic translations.



Petitions:

Condition US aid to Israel on compliance with the law not to violate the rights of Palestinians.
https://petitions.whiteho(...)tm_campaign=shorturl



Gaza News Links:

Baby son of BBC worker killed in Gaza strike
http://www.telegraph.co.u(...)-in-Gaza-strike.html

As Israel Attacks Gaza, Palestinians find an unlikely ally (Anonymous)
http://tribune.com.pk/sto(...)nd-an-unlikely-ally/

Gaza activist: 'Israel has declared war, act now'
http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/52820

Impressions of Gaza by Noam Chomsky:
http://chomsky.info/articles/20121104.htm

http://tribune.com.pk/sto(...)nd-an-unlikely-ally/



Gaza Videos:

Martyred in Gaza - a documentary

Martyred in Gaza - a documentary by Harry Fear for GazaReport.com

Translators:

@Pino_Rodriguez
@Masterpiece_s
@alxgucci
@yazannshewat
@xJashin
@Samof88 - Arabic/Turkish.

Active Twitter Accounts:

@AnonOpsSweden
@DBCOOPA
@AnonymousZC
@AnonIRC
@OpLiberation1
@VizFoSho
@Op_Israel
@HarryFear
@PLF2012



Defaced/Hacked Websites:

http://www.rom.org.il
http://www.datinet.co.il/index.html
http://dannydanon.com
http://falcon-s.co.il
http://www.kosherest.co.il/index.htm
http://e-yoman.co.il/var | http://operator.co.il/var | http://p-tzofit.co.il/var | http://e-tzofit.co.il/var | http://www.tzofit.co.il/var
http://d3d.cwo.il
http://mor-space.co.il/he
http://www.cyber-ma.com/isreal.html
http://littner.co.il / http://iconcept.co.il / http://danybarshay.co.il / http://filtuna.co.il
http://iiamo.co.il
http://advocate-israel.com
http://deplus.co.il/home
http://hilulla.co.il / http://gan-pazit.co.il / http://almagorswishes.org.il
http://www.dolevltd.co.il/fuk_isreal.asp / http://shaked.co.il/fuk_isreal.asp / http://openspace1.co.il/fuk_isreal.asp / http://www.g-2.co.il/fuk_isreal.asp


Anonymous Operation Israel MSM Media Reports:

http://rt.com/news/gaza-israel-strike-anonymous-787/

http://www.dailydot.com/n(...)aza-internet-access/

http://www.globalpost.com(...)roup-vows-support-pa

http://tribune.com.pk/sto(...)nd-an-unlikely-ally/

http://freakoutnation.com(...)-telecommunications/

http://www.forbes.com/sit(...)on-for-gaza-attacks/

http://betabeat.com/2012/(...)ttack-on-gaza-strip/

http://bits.blogs.nytimes(...)s-israeli-web-sites/

http://www.huffingtonpost(...)-gaza_n_2139325.html

http://www.salon.com/2012(...)aza_internet_threat/

http://www.examiner.com/a(...)el-gaza-under-attack

http://www.foxbusiness.co(...)fter-gaza-airstrike/

http://www.washingtonpost(...)itter_washingtonpost

http://globalvoicesonline(...)g-like-rain-in-gaza/



Personal Messages:

غزہ کے عظیم، دلیر اور عزیز دوستو، پاکستان کا بچہ بچہ اپ سے پیار کرتا ہے- - A message from #AnonymousPakistan

You might need this: http://www.instructables.(...)rPoint-Presentation/ via @VizFoSho

Please contact me on Twitter or through one of the IRC networks to update this document.
Also, if you can translate Arabic or Hebrew from English and want to help #OpIsrael
hit us up - @DBCOOPA @AnonSikko @VizFoSho @PLF2012



CURRENT INTERNET AND TELECOMM CONNECTIVITY IN GAZA

Broadband: DOWN

PBX Lines DOWN

Mobile: DOWN

Ham Radio: Unknown

Satellite: Unkown

Electricity: DOWN, Current electricity by Generators



CONFIGURING AND USING DIAL-UP (WINDOWS)

Configuring Dial-Up Connections
Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Network and Internet Connections.
Click Create a connection to the network at your office.
In the Location Information dialog box, enter the appropriate information. Click OK, and then click OK to close thePhone and Modem Options dialog box and start the New Connection wizard.
In the New Connection Wizard, click Dial-up connection, and then click Next.
Type a name for the network to which you are connecting (such as "My Office Network"), and then click Next.
Type the phone number for the network to which you are connecting, including, if necessary, the area code and "1" prefix.
Specify whether you want this connection to be available for anyone's use, meaning for any user on this computer, or for your use only, meaning only for the user who is now logged on.
Specify whether you want a shortcut to the connection on your desktop.
Click Finish.
Using Dial-Up Connections
Click Start, click Connect To, and the click the connection that you want to use.
In the User Name box, type your user name.
In the Password box, type your password.
Choose one of the following options:
To save the user name and password so that you will not have to type them in the future, select the Save this user name and password for the following users check box.
If you want only the current user to have access to the saved user name and password, select the Me only check box.
If you want all users to have access to the user name and password, select the Anyone who uses this computercheck box.
Click Dial.




CONFIGURING AND USING DIAL-UP (MAC)

Configure Mac OS X
From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
From the View menu, choose Network.
Choose "Internal Modem" from the Show pop-up menu (or the "Configure" pop-up menu prior to Mac OS X v10.1).
If your computer does not have a built-in modem, select your external modem.

Mac OS X v10.5 or later: From the Configuration pop-up menu, choose Add Configuration.
Mac OS X 10.4.x or earlier: Click the PPP tab.
Enter your information into the relevant fields. Your username goes in the Account Name field, for example. If you want to copy this connection information to other user accounts on this computer, select "Save password".
You should now be able to connect. If you need to configure DNS servers or other advanced settings, continue to the next step.
Mac OS X v10.5 or later: Click the Advanced button, then click the DNS tab.
Mac OS X v10.4 or earlier: Click the TCP/IP tab. Choose either PPP or Manually from the Configure pop-up menu, as instructed by your Internet service provider. If configuring manually, type the IP address in the matching field.
Type the DNS server addresses in their field if necessary (click the "+" button first in Mac OS X v10.5 or later).
Click OK.
Click Apply (or Apply Now for Mac OS X v10.4 or earlier).

Connect and verify
Mac OS X v10.5 or later: Open Network preferences (in System Preferences).
Mac OS X v10.4.x or earlier: Open Internet Connect (from the Applications folder).
Be sure the Configuration pop-up menu is set to your modem.
Click the Connect button.
Once you're connected, open a Web browser or other Internet application to make sure your connection works.
Tip: You can have Mac OS X automatically connect to the Internet whenever you open an Internet application.


Stay Frosty.

OpIsrael - Gates of Hell

twitter:

th3j35t3r twitterde op vrijdag 16-11-2012 om 01:12:16 Propaganda attempts like israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx are spread via Hamas official sites. Not today. qassam.ps & http://hamasinfo.net TANGOS DOWN reageer retweet

quote:

Op vrijdag 16 november 2012 04:25 schreef SuperHarregarre het volgende:
Dikke misser om alleen Israël te targetten, zeg. Naïef hoor...alsof Hamas de vrede zelve is.

quote:

Anonymous hack hundreds of Israeli websites, delete Foreign Ministry database in support of Gaza

Hacker group Anonymous has launched a massive attack named #OpIsrael on almost 700 Israeli websites, protesting against Operation Pillar of Defense in Gaza. Israeli media confirmed the group’s move.

­The hackers reportedly took down websites ranging from high-profile governmental structures such as the Foreign Ministry to local tourism companies’ pages.

The biggest attack as of now has been the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s international development program, titled Mashav. Anonymous announced on Twitter they’ve hacked into the program’s database, with the website remaining inaccessible at the moment.

“There is [sic] so many defaced Israeli websites right now, that we just made a list of them,” Anonymous tweeted.

The hacktivists also took down the Israeli President's official website and the blog of the country's Defense Force, www.idfblog.com, posting the news on Twitter using their infamous #TANGO DOWN hashtag.

The Jerusalem Post has confirmed the group’s assault, including the attack on the Foreign Ministry’s website, as well as those of Kadima party, Bank of Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv Municipality. The latter is online as of now. Among other functions, it provides residents with directions to bomb shelters. Meanwhile, the majority of the web pages that were taken down were blank, but some showed pro-Palestinian images and messages, Jerusalem Post reported.

It was mentioned, however, that most of the 663 pages on the list were subdomains of the same site, and many proved to be still online and functioning properly.

Most of the sites were simply unavailable, but others displayed pro-Palestinian images and messages. One site whose front page was replaced with an image of a man wearing a Palestinian kaffiye, displayed a message reading: "This attack is in response to the Injustice against the Palestinian people."

quote:

Anonymous put together a Gaza Care Package, which contains instructions in Arabic and English to assist Palestinians in the event that the Israeli government cuts their internet connection. Plus, the package includes information on evading IDF surveillance, along with first aid information. The collective encouraged Palestinians to download and share the package with others.

quote:

Anonymous targets Israeli Web sites in protest over Gaza

quote:

The Bank of Jerusalem, one of Israel's largest financial institutions, has received particular attention from the hacktivists -- as the cyberattackers crowed on Twitter about deleting the organization's online database. Access to the bank's Web site has been spotty. Trying to access it yesterday afternoon resulted in nothing more than a database error, and though the site reappeared, it seemed to be offline again this morning.

quote:

Anonymous claims it stopped Karl Rove from hacking the vote

quote:

The hacktivist group Anonymous is claiming credit for Mitt Romney's loss, alleging that ORCA, Karl Rove's GOTV ubercomputer, was actually a vote tabulation manipulation software.

, We began following the digital traffic of one Karl Rove, a disrespecter of the Rule of Law, knowing that he claimed to be Kingmaker while grifting vast wealth from barons who gladly handed him gold to anoint another king while looking the other way.

After a rather short time, we identified the digital structure of Karl's operation and even that of his ORCA. This was an easy task in that barn doors were left open and his wind swept us inside.

Before the election Anonymous sent out a warning to Mr. Rove. In my mind what I had imagined transpiring was that after the election, Anonymous would release two spreadsheets, the former being the precinct-correct tally, and the second being the post-manipulation tally. An audit would discover that the "official" tally did not match the pre tabulation numbers, and to no one's surprise the audit would reveal that the actual vote count matched the precinct-correct tally on Anonymous' spreadsheet.

But that would have allowed the damage to be done, in order to catch the criminals. Mitt Romney would have already been declared president, and it would take months of court proceedings to reverse the election, amid cries of "stealing the election!" from both sides.

Had it been effective, it would have ruined the Republican brand forever, or at least the next two years, whichever voters remember longer. Given that they were so ready to forget the failures of George W. Bush, I don't have faith in the permanence of that notion.

So the better route was to "close the barn doors" and prevent the manipulation from happening.

Did Anonymous stop Karl Rove from Stealing Ohio again?

quote:

House Republicans: Copyright Law Destroys Markets; It's Time For Real Reform

quote:

This document really is a watershed moment. Even if it does not lead to any actual legislation, just the fact that some in Congress are discussing how copyright has gone way too far and even looking at suggestions that focus on what benefits the public the most is a huge step forward from what we've come to expect. In many ways, this is the next logical step after the completion of the SOPA fight. Rather than just fighting bad policy, it's time for Congress to recognize that existing copyright law is bad policy and now is the time to fix it. It comes as a surprise, but kudos to the Republican Study Committee -- and specifically Derek Khanna, the policy staffer who wrote the document -- for stepping up and saying what needed to be said, but which too many in Congress had been afraid to say for fear of how the entertainment industry lobbyists would react.

quote:

That Was Fast: Hollywood Already Browbeat The Republicans Into Retracting Report On Copyright Reform

quote:

So, late Friday, we reported on how the Republican Study Committee (the conservative caucus of House Republicans) had put out a surprisingly awesome report about copyright reform. You can read that post to see the details. The report had been fully vetted and reviewed by the RSC before it was released. However, as soon as it was published, the MPAA and RIAA apparently went ballistic and hit the phones hard, demanding that the RSC take down the report. They succeeded. Even though the report had been fully vetted and approved by the RSC, executive director Paul S. Teller has now retracted it, sending out the following email to a wide list of folks this afternoon:

quote:

Vendetta masks in UAE colours draw warning

Product being sold online declared illegal as National Day draws closer

Dubai: Police officials in Dubai have warned against wearing a mask that symbolises opposition to state authority during any celebrations connected to National Day and declared it illegal.

Any person found wearing Guy Fawkes masks, also known as ‘Vendetta masks’, risks police questioning as any object or action deemed to be instigating unrest or insulting the UAE is illegal, police officials said.

The masks are a stylised depiction of a man who was behind the failed Gunpowder Plot to blow up the British House of Lords in London in 1605. The plot is commemorated with a fireworks displays in the UK on November 5 each year in an event that has come to be known as Guy Fawkes night.

The masks being targeted at people in the UAE have mainly shown up on some online stores and are emblazoned with the colours of the UAE flag — red, white, green and black. They also feature the number 41 prominently — a reference to the 41st National Day on December 2.

The ‘Vendetta mask’ was popularised during the Arab Spring uprisings and has been used as a symbol of rebellion against governments and regimes across the region. Its design closely mirrors the mask used by activists portrayed in the 2006 movie ‘V for Vendetta’.

A Dubai Police official stressed the negative connotations of the mask. “Using any symbol that insults the country or instigates unrest against its system is not allowed. We urge citizens to celebrate using other symbols such as national flags, slogans or photos that are more appropriate to the happy occasion of National Day.”

The masks are being offered online for around Dh50 each with shipping fees ranging between Dh20-50.

Some markets and stores in Dubai are also reportedly selling the masks.

Emirati Twitter users have taken to the social media outlet to warn against wearing the mask and explaining its serious implications — claiming some people have no idea of what the mask denotes.