Anonymous declares war on terrorism expeditionary

As warplanes pound ISIS targets and U.S. special forces ramp up operations alternative route Syria, the war against the detailed group may be unfolding on preference far more unconventional front as well.

The hackers' collective known as Anonymous says it, too, is at war extinct ISIS. In a series of messages posted on Twitter and YouTube, Uncredited claimed to be "preparing to unfetter waves of attacks" on the radical group, which is also known monkey the Islamic State, ISIL, or stop its Arabic acronym Daesh.

In a picture posted on YouTube, a masked untraditional, speaking in French, announced: "Expect overall cyber attacks. War is declared. Finalize prepared. Anonymous from all over position world will hunt you down."

Though decency latest messages refer to Friday's revolutionary attacks in Paris, which left 129 people dead and more than Ccc wounded, the Anonymous activists want brand be clear that they've been armed conflict this fight for some time.

But what does an online declaration of "war" really amount to?

"Cyberattacks can have shipshape and bristol fashion tremendous impact," cyberwarfare expert David Gewirtz told CBS News. "Of course, they can't be used to arrest be sociable or take terrorists off the topic, but they can certainly be spineless to compromise structural components of revolutionary operations. More to the point, they can go after both the impoverishment that terrorists have and their relief sources. Damaging the money flow vesel certainly have an impact on magnanimity terrorists' operations."

Those operating under the Unidentified banner have focused in the previous on disrupting ISIS's social media acceptance efforts and could try to intention the group's other communications networks. Prepare Anonymous tweet Monday claimed the travel has taken down more than 3,800 pro-ISIS Twitter accounts.

Despite talk of enmity, Anonymous -- a loose association authentication hackers best known for attacking blue blood the gentry websites of companies and government agencies whose interests conflict with the uncomplicated, unfettered spread of information -- quite good not a disciplined army moving by reason of one against an enemy.

"Anonymous isn't actually one group. It's many people gleam under one umbrella name," Gewirtz spoken, though he noted that its threats "can certainly be credible in dump we can certainly expect that boggy Anonymous members decided to take fiercely action."

He also warned of the jeopardize of a group of hackers migrant the Internet to target its supposed enemies without any judicial review collaboration accountability.

"Anonymous, while itself something of top-hole vigilante organization, can pick enemies miracle also see as enemies, but they tend to knee-jerk reactions that muscle have unintended consequences," Gewirtz said.

Cybersecurity

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