Sony Sues Hacker Prodigy. "Anonymous" attacks Sony to protest PS3 hacker lawsuit. The hacker hordes of Anonymous have transferred their fickle attention to Sony.
They are currently attacking the company's online Playstation store in retribution for Sony's lawsuit against PS3 hacker George Hotz (aka "GeoHot"). A denial of service attack has temporarily taken down playstation.com. In a manifesto announcing the new operation, Anonymous railed against Sony for going after coders who seek to modify hardware that they own. The lawsuits are an "unforgivable offense against free speech and internet freedom, primary sources of free lulz (and you know how we feel about lulz).
" "Your corrupt business practices are indicative of a corporate philosophy that would deny consumers the right to use products they have paid for and rightfully own, in the manner of their choosing," continues the pronouncement. Anonymous is rallying participants to voluntarily contribute to the denial of service attack on Sony. Anonymous goes after Sony, makes it personal... very personal. The hacker collective Anonymous has attacked Sony websites all week, taking them down intermittently in retaliation for Sony's federal lawsuit against PlayStation 3 hacker George Hotz ("GeoHot").
But in recent days, "Operation Sony" morphed from a standard website attack into something a bit more personal, as some Anons formed a separate "Sony Recon" mission and began tracking down corporate executives, their wives, the schools their children attend, and the shops at which they buy their flowers. And the way they obtain that information can be ingenious—and disquieting. Gathering this sort of information is referred to as "doxing" or collecting "dox" on targets, and such data is usually collected and distributed so that others can use it "for the lulz"—amusement, legitimate protest, or harassment.
Public information sources, if properly collated, can supply a wealth of detail. When public information just won't do, a bit of social engineering can sometimes supply an answer. 4.3.11 Anonymous News Release - Anonymous Operation Want. Donations pour in for PS3 hacker; Sony court battle continues. George Hotz is in the middle of what could be a long, punishing legal battle with Sony, and his money is running out.
"Media, I need your help. This is the first time I have ever asked. Please, if you support this cause, help me out and spread the word," he wrote on his newest blog entry. "I want, by the time this goes to trial, to have Sony facing some of the hardest hitting lawyers in the business. Together, we can help fix the system. " Ars Technica contacted Hotz's lawyer to make sure this plea for cash was legitimate, and attorney Stewart Kellar confirmed that yes, the money raised goes to Hotz's legal fund to fight Sony.
This isn't about piracy "I am an advocate against mass piracy, do not distribute anyone's copyrighted work but my own, do not take crap lying down, and am even pro-DRM in a sense," Hotz said. Recently Hotz also took to YouTube to rap at Sony. Hotz assured everyone that despite the rapping, he's serious about raising money to fight back. Anonymous Gets Serious, Attacks Sony Employees. Infamous hacking group, Anonymous, began a series of attacks against Sony earlier today, bringing down several Sony sites and the PlayStation Network.
However, a radical offshoot of the main group believe that the attacks aren’t enough, and are prepared to take the fight to a more severe level. Initially claiming that they would seek revenge against Sony for their legal action against Geohot and other PS3 hackers, the group successfully DDoS’d PlayStation.com and the PlayStation Store under a group called OpSony. Everything Anonymous. Operation Payback brings you #OpSony Dear Greedy Motherfuckers SONY, Congratulations!
You are now receiving the attention of Anonymous. Sony and PlayStation.com Brought Down By Anon Attack, More to Follow. Hacker Group Anonymous Declare War On Sony. Sony has gained much attention, controversy and exposure ever since it took the PlayStation 3′s first hackers, George Hotz and fail0verflow, to court.
Some have joined Geohot’s battle against Sony and spent their time working on finding a way to thwart the PS3′s security ever since Sony’s 3.60 firmware update. Now, a group that were behind the hacking of the entire Gawker network (Kotaku’s parent company), Amazon as well as Mastercard has declared a war on Sony due to their dealings with Hotz. A statement released by the group, who are named Anonymous said: Congratulations, Sony. You now have now received the undivided attention of Anonymous.
Here’s the image that the transcript came from (click on image to enlarge): What the organizations plans actually are remain unknown, but PlayStation LifeStyle will keep you updated on any further news of Anon’s activities.