By Carlos Solis |Staff Writer|
Hide your kids and hide your wife because they’re hacking everybody out there.
“Hacker is a term used by some to mean ‘a clever programmer’ and by others, especially those in popular media, to mean ‘someone who tries to break into computer systems,’” according to techtarget.com.
I don’t think hacktivists are criminals. I believe they are doing a service to society by exposing the real criminals and spreading valuable information.
“Hacktivism is the act of hacking a website or computer network in an effort to convey a social or political message. The person who carries out the act of hacktivism is known as a hacktivist,” according to techopedia.com.
An international network of hackers and hacktivists known as “Anonymous” became famous for their digital attacks on governments and big corporations.
They are well known for using a Guy Fawkes mask, as seen in the movie V for Vendetta. Nowadays, the Guy Fawkes’ mask is a symbol of freedom through hacktivism.
Anonymous threatened to release information of 1,000 Ku Klux Klan members. They have already released 80 names to pastebin.com, according to Al Jazeera.
“The Ku Klux Klan was originally founded in the southern states after the Civil War to oppose social change and black emancipation by using violence and terrorism. Although disbanded twice, it re-emerged in the 1950s and 1960s and continues at a local level. Members disguise themselves in white robes and hoods and often use a burning cross as a symbol of their organization,” according to the Oxford Dictionary.
Last November, members of the KKK threatened to attack protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, after the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, who was shot by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. Protests erupted when Wilson was not indicted by the Ferguson grand jury.
“For some time now, the police of St. Louis have been avoiding our questions concerning the death of 18 year old Mike Brown. It is time to change that,” stated on the Anonymous video “Operation KKK”.
Almost a year after the events in Ferguson unfolded, Anonymous is bringing up the incident again.
Anonymous revealed a list of names of KKK affiliated members. These names were on a list released by various Twitter accounts claiming affiliation with Anonymous.
The people who are a part of such a hateful organization might be the same people you voted for.
Jim Gray, the mayor of Lexington, Kentucky, who’s name appeared on the list, denied any ties.
“I have never had any relationship of any kind with the KKK. I am opposed to everything it stands for. I have no idea where this information came from, but wherever it came from, it is wrong,” Gray told USA Today.
“You should be careful what you get on the Internet or what you’re posting on the Internet. Everything has a way to come back to you. I don’t think it is right for your private information to get out, but at the same time it’s the KKK,” said student Mark Porraz.
I personally wouldn’t want my information or other personal details about my life to be released to the public.
I’m just a broke college student, and not many people would be interested in hacking my life; I agree that we all deserve privacy.
You need to be careful with what you do online and what you are involved in.
The issue here is that information has been revealed about politicians. When you’re a public figure, you run the risk of not having a private life anymore.
“We are not a person as people die, we are an idea and ideas are immortals. We are justice and justice can’t be silenced… We are the ones who do not beg for justice to take its course,” stated an Anonymous member in the video ‘Message to the Citizens of the World.’
There might be people that don’t agree with Anonymous as hacktivists.
People have called them criminals, cowards while hiding their faces, and radicals trying to change the system.
I don’t feel that way about them because it’s true that governments and corporations have been taking advantage of society.
Anonymous, or any other hacker groups, usually don’t search or reveal information about innocent citizens simply to be malicious.
It is likely that your information is already online, but as a common citizen, you are not likely to be targeted by this groups.
I believe groups of hackers like this are doing a service to the community by being the voice of the voiceless and bringing justice for those who can’t get it otherwise.
By exposing the ones who hide in the dark to harm society with their greed, hate and selfishness, Anonymous is breaking the chains of ignorance one leak at a time.
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