During 2011, Imperva witnessed an assault by the hacktivist group ‘Anonymous’ that lasted 25 days. Our observations give insightful information on Anonymous, including a detailed analysis of hacking methods, as well as an examination of how social media provides a communications platform for recruitment and attack coordination. Hacktivism has grown dramatically in the past year and has become a priority for security organizations worldwide. Understanding Anonymous’ attack methods will help organizations prepare if they are ever a target.
Our observation of an Anonymous campaign reveals:
› The process used by Anonymous to pick victims as well as recruit and use needed hacking talent.
› How Anonymous leverages social networks to recruit members and promotes hack campaigns.
› The specific cyber reconnaissance and attack methods used by Anonymous’ hackers. We detail and sequence the steps. Anonymous hackers deploy that cause data breaches and bring down websites.
Finally, we recommend key mitigation steps that organizations need to help protect against attacks.
