Are hackers a force in society today?

[Loppan Torkel]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/31/anonymous-hackers-mexican-drug-cartel

An internet video has threatened to expose allies of Mexico's Zetas drug cartel in the local police and news media unless the gang frees a kidnapped member of the international hacker movement known as Anonymous.

The YouTube message, which claims to be from Anonymous "Veracruz, Mexico, and the world", says it is "tired of the criminal group the Zetas, which is dedicated to kidnapping, stealing and extortion", and threatens to fight back with information instead of weapons. It said it knows of police officers, journalists, taxi drivers and others working with the Zetas.

The video refers to an unidentified person kidnapped in the coastal city of Veracruz, and says: "You have made a great mistake by taking one of us. Free him."

The hacker group, which has claimed responsibility for attacks on corporate and government websites worldwide, plans to act on Friday if the kidnapped activist is not freed or is harmed, according to the message.

"We cannot defend ourselves with weapons, but we can with their cars, houses, bars," the message adds, apparently alluding to properties owned by cartel supporters. "It's not difficult. We know who they are and where they are. Information is free," it says. "We do not forgive. We do not forget."

A few days old but relevant.

There are some groups in society that have managed to gain more power in society, by different means, than perhaps they morally deserve - Corporate fat cats, politicians, religious leaders, high criminals (in drug cartels, etc) and now maybe also skilled hackers in their ability to gain and steer information.

How do you see their role being played out in the future? Will they become more integrated in and used for control by the other spheres or could they influence society independently?

 

[Ajidica]

Part of me wants them to be become a societal force so we can have a cyberpunk future, while the other part of me doesn't see them becoming a major force due to various social reasons.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Is the guy dead yet ? I'd expect the cartel will kill him in a particularly gruesome manner to make a point, and it's possible Anon is bluffing.
As for the general question, hackers can be a real force in society and politics when they get organized, but in time states and corporations will employ their own hacker groups -if they don't already- to defend themselves and launch counterattacks on groups they identify as enemies. Now such counterattacks may be a fruitless efforts due to the decentralized nature of groups like Anon -if you can even call them a group- but I think hackers will gain power in the short term and start losing it again when states and other organizations catch up and make an efort to combat them.

 

[zjintz]

I guess is free.

 

[BvBPL]

Recent news reports that Stuxnet-type computer viruses can be used to damage physical infrastructure, such as power plant turbines, and reports of Chinese and Russian state sponsored hackers getting into US companies’ databases demonstrate that cyber terrorism and cyber warfare may be a potentially critical element of future international relations. Those factors are way, WAY more important than this threat by Anonymous against the drug cartels.

 

[Kyriakos]

Part of me wants them to be become a societal force so we can have a cyberpunk future, while the other part of me doesn't see them becoming a major force due to various social reasons.

Hackers would have been more interesting if they were about revealing some Matrix-type construction

 

[IglooDame]

I'm wondering how hacking could negatively impact Mexican drug cartels. I mean, you'd think the DEA (with some assistance from the NSA, depending on how important the War on Drugs really is in fed.gov) would already be all over the drugs lords' backsides, from an electronic/data-warfare perspective.

And yes, mindful that the DEA seemingly cannot even stop itself from arming Mexican gangs directly and all that.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

I'm wondering how hacking could negatively impact Mexican drug cartels. I mean, you'd think the DEA (with some assistance from the NSA, depending on how important the War on Drugs really is in fed.gov) would already be all over the drugs lords' backsides, from an electronic/data-warfare perspective.

And yes, mindful that the DEA seemingly cannot even stop itself from arming Mexican gangs directly and all that.

I think the idea is to expose corrupt cops and other secret cartel lackeys to the general public. Whether it has any impact or not depends on the sources' credibility and how much power the gangs already have.
It can also be a very effective threat if there's a power struggle between different cartels going on.

 

[BvBPL]

The stated goal of Anonymous is to free their confederate held by the cartel. Their moral high ground disappears quick if they fail to release the information about the cartel’s puppets even after the release of the hacker. What does it deal you about Anonymous if they have this information and are only willing to release it for the group’s self interest.

 

[zjintz]

Also they said they were going to do something to facebook. Im still waiting....

 

[CommonKnowledge]

Recent news reports that Stuxnet-type computer viruses can be used to damage physical infrastructure, such as power plant turbines, and reports of Chinese and Russian state sponsored hackers getting into US companies’ databases demonstrate that cyber terrorism and cyber warfare may be a potentially critical element of future international relations. Those factors are way, WAY more important than this threat by Anonymous against the drug cartels.

It's been that way for a while now. Stuxnet was a particuarly prime example of this in that it was a very intricately designed piece of malware - it exploited 5 (I think) zero day viruses and could only have been written by a large organisation. Meanwhile China has dedicated schools for churning out professional hackers and countries can be brought to their knees by cyber warfare. There was a recent example where Estonia was brought down by a series of concentrated cyber attacks originating from Russia.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

The stated goal of Anonymous is to free their confederate held by the cartel. Their moral high ground disappears quick if they fail to release the information about the cartel’s puppets even after the release of the hacker. What does it deal you about Anonymous if they have this information and are only willing to release it for the group’s self interest.

I think theyre thinking if they release it he might get killed.

 

[Archbob]

The stated goal of Anonymous is to free their confederate held by the cartel. Their moral high ground disappears quick if they fail to release the information about the cartel’s puppets even after the release of the hacker. What does it deal you about Anonymous if they have this information and are only willing to release it for the group’s self interest.

I think saving someone's life gives them moral high ground, no?

 

[Red Key]

http://rt.com/usa/news/anonymous-fawkes-facebook-november-573/

According to various tweets, blog posts and message across the Web, November 5 will host a series of attacks on various institutions waged by members of the online collective Anonymous. Among the rumored targets this weekend include Fox News, Facebook and a notorious Mexican drug cartel.

The drug cartel isn't the only target Anonymous says they will go after. Apparently they are planning a few strikes on Guy Fawkes Day. They claim they will shutdown Facebook and Fox News. I wonder how many of them will actually happen. Anonymous' name for their attack on Fox News made me laugh. They are calling it "Operation Fox Hunt."

 

[BvBPL]

I think saving someone's life gives them moral high ground, no?

How many more lives would be saved by exposing the cartel's confederates? If you grok Spock, then you must understand:
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
"Or the one."

 

[Perfection]

lol hackers deciding to withhold info, that'll happen.

 

[Skwink]

Also they said they were going to do something to facebook. Im still waiting....

Yeah isn't that tomorrow? It seems the Basement dwellers are going to try to take on Fox because they dislike Fox not agreeing with their views. Seems they don't like free speech too well.

 

[GoodGame]

I think hacking has been a concern, since "Captain Crunch", but it's just a tool.

 

[anandus]

I do believe that hackers are a force, but not groups like Anonymous, but the state-sponsored 'military' hackers, like Chinese have or like the Israelian virusmakers (Stuxnet).
I believe it is a force not to be overlooked as they can do more damage than is good for us.

Groups like Anonymous are only the digital equivalent of (leftist) activists and their actions are the digital equivalent of spraypainting banks, throwing in the windows of the Mcdonalds or cutting the hozes of tank stations.
Small material damage, some news profile, but not really a concern.

 

[Mise]

FYI, the idea was that by publicising the names of Zeta gang members, other gangs would target those people. Zeta were sufficiently scared of this prospect that they threatened to kill 10 people for every Zeta name revealed. They decapitated a woman and killed another man, leaving a note saying that this is what happens to internet users who reveal Zeta identities.

The person Anonymous was demanding to be freed was allegedly freed, so given the threats, they called the whole thing off.

Come on people, read the things that people post

Sent from a phone, apols for any mistakes.