Recent Changes

Discussion:
{12.png} The Hacker Army and other groups often have a more refined set of motivations and goals than Anonymous. Image source: http://bit.ly/AjThtr
states of
Jammu Jammu and Kashmir
anti-India. TeaMp0isoN member Hex0010 stated, “A lot of people consider us being a religious type thing -- in reality it's not. When international governments are doing wrong and trying to hide from it, we're there.”[2] These groups likely will not pose a threat to U.S. cyber-security, unless they deem U.S. policy decisions or other actions egregious enough to merit a response. Even then, these groups’ targets will likely be much more predictable, making them easier to address than Anonymous.
Lone wolf actors pose a threat to the financial security of American consumers, but this threat does not extend to the cyber security of the U.S. government. A majority of banking executives in an August 2011 poll expressed fears that cyber-crime was uncontrollable.[3] “In increments of a few thousand dollars to a few million per theft, cybercrooks are stealing as much as $1 billion a year from small and mid-sized bank accounts in the U.S. and Europe.

Anonymous WillIt Is Highly Likely That Anonymous Will Be A
Executive Summary:
AnonymousIt is ahighly likely that the cellular hacking collective thatknown as Anonymous, will highly likely remain active
Discussion:
Many authorities recognize that Anonymous is involved in much more than just criminal cyber activities.[i] With their cyber-attacks, anonymous targeted credit card processing, entertainment, energy, private security, and manufacturing companies, as well as state and local law enforcement and federal departments and agencies.[ii] It is likely that these cyber-attacks will continue. Authorities are not able to catch the best hackers. These criminals’ offensive capabilities and methods used to cover their electronic footprints are too advanced for bureaucratic investigative bodies like the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI can be reluctant to reach out to IT professional for assistance in cyber cases.[iii]

Anonymous Will MostHighly Likely Be
Executive Summary:
that will mosthighly likely remain
Discussion:
Many authorities recognize that Anonymous is involved in much more than just criminal cyber activities.[i] With their cyber-attacks, anonymous targeted credit card processing, entertainment, energy, private security, and manufacturing companies, as well as state and local law enforcement and federal departments and agencies.[ii] It is likely that these cyber-attacks will continue. Authorities are not able to catch the best hackers. These criminals’ offensive capabilities and methods used to cover their electronic footprints are too advanced for bureaucratic investigative bodies like the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI can be reluctant to reach out to IT professional for assistance in cyber cases.[iii]

Analytic Confidence:
Analytic confidence for this assessment is high. Source reliability is high and sources could be corroborated. The analyst’s expertise is medium; the analyst collaborated with a team and used structured analytic methods (see Annex 1). Subject complexity is medium and the time available for the task was adequate.
{Anonymous_ACH.png} Annex 1 - ACH -
[i] http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=security/understanding-anonymous (High)
[ii] http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=security/understanding-anonymous (High)

Analytic Confidence:
Analytic confidence for this assessment is high. Source reliability is high and sources could be corroborated. The analyst’s expertise is medium; the analyst collaborated with a team and used structured analytic methods (see Annex 1). Subject complexity is medium and the time available for the task was adequate.
{Anonymous_ACH.png} ACH - Analysis of two competing hypotheses on Anonymous' attack motivations
[i] http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=security/understanding-anonymous (High)
[ii] http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=security/understanding-anonymous (High)

In the next twelve months, cyber security faces diverse, persistent threats both at the national level and at the consumer level. It is highly likely that the hacktivist collective, Anonymous, will be the most active non -state actor in the cyber-arena. Other hacking groups, like TeaMp0isoN and The Hacker Army, and lone wolf actors will likely continue to threaten U.S. cyber-security, although their activities will likely not eclipse the threat posed by Anonymous. Organized criminal operations, especially the Russian Business Network, will likely continue their criminal operations targeting American consumers. Al-Qaeda, while possessing a threat in other areas of U.S. National Security is unlikely to pose a serious threat to cyber-security in the next 12 months.
Anonymous is likely to threaten the cyber security of corporations and governments more than that of the American consumer. With its most recent actions, Anonymous addressed perceived attacks against the freedom of information on the Internet. Anonymous’ actions show a pattern of escalating political involvement, working against organizations and governments that limit individuals’ access to internet information. However, it is difficult to predict the collective’s targets due to its cellular structure; many different groups can execute attacks from behind the Anonymous façade.
The United States is likely to continue to find trouble dealing with cyber-security issues. In this fight, the attacking force will most likely continue to have the upper hand. The non-state actors leading these attacks will most likely continue to find vulnerabilities online, and the tools used to exploit these vulnerabilities will likely remain viable. Authorities are unlikely to accurately predict which targets Anonymous will attack, because the organization reacts to perceived social ills. This is unlike other rogue cyber-agents who often maintain a set of motivations and goals and actively work to the fulfillment of those goals.
Although anonymous is the most pressing cyber-threat by some margin, other groups will present challenges for authorities. Those groups and lone actors with strong ideologies and well-established objectives present a different type of threat than Anonymous. The Hacker Army will likely remain active in its fight against Indian occupation. Other active hacking groups will likely continue their individual crusades. Lone wolf actors and organized crime present the largest risk to the American consumer, with malware, phishing, and other Internet based attacks. They are unlikely to extend their activities past cyber-attacks for financial gain in the next 12 months.

In the next twelve months, cyber security faces diverse, persistent threats both at the national level and at the consumer level. It is highly likely that the hacktivist collective, Anonymous, will be the most active non -state actor in the cyber-arena. Other hacking groups, like TeaMp0isoN and The Hacker Army, and lone wolf actors will likely continue to threaten U.S. cyber-security, although their activities will likely not eclipse the threat posed by Anonymous. Organized criminal operations, especially the Russian Business Network, will likely continue their criminal operations targeting American consumers. Al-Qaeda, while possessing a threat in other areas of U.S. National Security is unlikely to pose a serious threat to cyber-security in the next 12 months.
Anonymous is likely to threaten the cyber security of corporations and governments more than that of the American consumer. With its most recent actions, Anonymous addressed perceived attacks against the freedom of information on the Internet. Anonymous’ actions show a pattern of escalating political involvement, working against organizations and governments that limit individuals’ access to internet information. However, it is difficult to predict the collective’s targets due to its cellular structure; many different groups can execute attacks from behind the Anonymous façade.
The United States is likely to continue to find trouble dealing with cyber-security issues. In this fight, the attacking force will most likely continue to have the upper hand. The non-state actors leading these attacks will most likely continue to find vulnerabilities online, and the tools used to exploit these vulnerabilities will likely remain viable. Authorities are unlikely to accurately predict which targets Anonymous will attack, because the organization reacts to perceived social ills. This is unlike other rogue cyber-agents who often maintain a set of motivations and goals and actively work to the fulfillment of those goals.
Although anonymous is the most pressing cyber-threat by some margin, other groups will present challenges for authorities. Those groups and lone actors with strong ideologies and well-established objectives present a different type of threat than Anonymous. The Hacker Army will likely remain active in its fight against Indian occupation. Other active hacking groups will likely continue their individual crusades. Lone wolf actors and organized crime present the largest risk to the American consumer, with malware, phishing, and other Internet based attacks. They are unlikely to extend their activities past cyber-attacks for financial gain in the next 12 months.

Insert outlook hereIn the next twelve months, cyber security faces diverse, persistent threats both at the national level and at the consumer level. It is highly likely that the hacktivist collective, Anonymous, will be the most active non -state actor in the cyber-arena. Other hacking groups, like TeaMp0isoN and The Hacker Army, and lone wolf actors will likely continue to threaten U.S. cyber-security, although their activities will likely not eclipse the threat posed by Anonymous. Organized criminal operations, especially the Russian Business Network, will likely continue their criminal operations targeting American consumers. Al-Qaeda, while possessing a threat in other areas of U.S. National Security is unlikely to pose a serious threat to cyber-security in the next 12 months.
Anonymous is likely to threaten the cyber security of corporations and governments more than that of the American consumer. With its most recent actions, Anonymous addressed perceived attacks against the freedom of information on the Internet. Anonymous’ actions show a pattern of escalating political involvement, working against organizations and governments that limit individuals’ access to internet information. However, it is difficult to predict the collective’s targets due to its cellular structure; many different groups can execute attacks from behind the Anonymous façade.
While authorities are highly unlikely to accurately predict Anonymous’ targets, the next attacks will probably arise as retaliation to new legislation restricting internet freedoms or other unfavorable government or political activities. Perceived corporate or governmental violations of social, political, or environmental norms will likely be the impetus for future attacks.
The United States is likely to continue to find trouble dealing with cyber-security issues. In this fight, the attacking force will most likely continue to have the upper hand. The non-state actors leading these attacks will most likely continue to find vulnerabilities online, and the tools used to exploit these vulnerabilities will likely remain viable. Authorities are unlikely to accurately predict which targets Anonymous will attack, because the organization reacts to perceived social ills. This is unlike other rogue cyber-agents who often maintain a set of motivations and goals and actively work to the fulfillment of those goals.
Although anonymous is the most pressing cyber-threat by some margin, other groups will present challenges for authorities. Those groups and lone actors with strong ideologies and well-established objectives present a different type of threat than Anonymous. The Hacker Army will likely remain active in its fight against Indian occupation. Other active hacking groups will likely continue their individual crusades. Lone wolf actors and organized crime present the largest risk to the American consumer, with malware, phishing, and other Internet based attacks. They are unlikely to extend their activities past cyber-attacks for financial gain in the next 12 months.