Access member only content, take part in discussions with comments on blogs, news and reviews and receive all the latest security industry news directly to your inbox. Join now for free.
A confirmation email has been sent to your email address - SUPPLIED EMAIL HERE. Please click on the link in the email to verify your email address. You need to verify your email before you can start posting.
If you do not receive your confirmation email within the next few minutes, it may be because the email has been captured by a junk mail filter. Please ensure you add the domain @scmagazine.com.au to your white-listed senders.
Fourteen individuals believed to be part of the hacktivist group Anonymous pleaded innocent on Thursday in federal court in San Jose, Calif to charges of participating in an attack against PayPal.
The defendants, mostly in their twenties, were facing felony charges of damaging a protected computer and conspiracy for allegedly launching distributed denial-of-service attacks against the PayPal site.
The attack was launched late last year out of retaliation for the online payment service company's decision to cut ties with WikiLeaks after the whistleblower group published secret US diplomatic cables.
FBI agents arrested the 14 alleged Anonymous members in July.
During their arraignments Thursday before US Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal, the defendants entered their pleas and agreed to conditions of their release, including strict limits on internet usage.
The defendants are barred from using the internet, except for work, school and communicating with attorneys. They have also been banned from using internet relay chat (IRC) and Twitter – both popular modes of communication among Anonymous members.
Their next court date is scheduled for 1 November.
The charge of intentionally damaging a protected computer carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, as well as a fine of $250,000. Each count of conspiracy carries a maximum prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine.
MORE: View a Department of Justice press release from July announcing the arrests and names of the defendants
Court staff prepared for possible protests by Anonymous supporters Thursday, according to a CNET News report. Several deputy U.S. Marshals were present inside and outside of the courtroom, though no protesters showed up.
Anonymous members, however, claimed responsibility the same day for taking down the website of the federal appeals court in San Francisco.
“You argue civil disobedience is cyber terrorism,” the group wrote in a tweet. “We think not.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. isn't the only country cracking down on Anonymous.
British police on Thursday arrested two men in connection with attacks launched by Anonymous and its sister hacking group LulzSec.
Specifically, the arrests were related to acts carried out by a hacker using the alias “Kayla,” who is considered to be a key LulzSec member. The two unnamed men, aged 20 and 24, were arrested separately in Yorkshire and Wiltshire, England, London's Metropolitan Police said in a news release.
The arrests were made in cooperation with the FBI as part of an ongoing investigation into the activities of the hacker groups.
This article originally appeared at scmagazineus.com
To begin commenting right away, you can log in below or register an account if you don't yet have one. Please read our guidelines on commenting. Offending posts will be removed and your access may be suspended. Abusive or obscene language will not be tolerated. The comments below do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of SC Magazine, Haymarket Media or its employees.