Pro-WikiLeaks Hackers Target Security Firm

A security company investigating cyber attacks by the pro-WikiLeaks group 'Anonymous' have been hacked. Anonymous, which has been accused of hacking websites owned by financial institutions that once supported but have since abandoned their associations with WikiLeaks, boasted of the attack on Twitter.

HBGary Federal is a security research company that has been working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) towards identifying and prosecuting the leaders of Anonymous, an underground organization of hackers which stand accused of attacking Visa, Mastercard International and PayPal. All of these firms once accepted donations on behalf of WikiLeaks, but in late 2010 severed their connection with the controversial organization.

Anonymous: "Today we taught everyone a lesson"

"Today we taught everyone a lesson," reads Anonymous' Twitter tweet, which was posted through the account of HBGary Federal's CEO, Aaron Barr. "When we actually decide to bite back against those who try to bring us down, we bite hard." (Source: cnet.com)

The attack on HBGary Federal included a takeover of the security company's main web pages, including hbgary.com and hbgaryfederal.com. They were replaced with a page describing the group's motives, which included the argument that HBGary's investigation in pursuit of Anonymous leaders had turned up the wrong names.

The attack was probably triggered when Barr told the Financial Times that his company's investigation had already uncovered the names of two critical Anonymous members in the United States as well as several other important figures from other nations.

60,000 Emails Swiped, Posted on Pirate Bay

Anonymous didn't stop there, however. It also stole about 60,000 of HBGary's emails, which have since been posted to Torrent and file-sharing site, Pirate Bay.

The members of anonymous may not be unknown much longer. According to reports, British police have arrested five suspects in connection with the December cyber attacks. (Source: google.com)