Anonymous doesn’t need to hack its way into some of most classified databases in the world.
Often times the hacktivist collective just has to sit back and wait for the “pimply-faced” kids who have access to those secure systems to grant access out of their own volition, at least according to one high-ranking member.
In an exclusive interview with National Post, Anonymous spokesperson Christopher Doyon, a.k.a. Commander X, explains how the state of hacking has changed since Pfc. Bradley Manning allegedly released more than 700,000 classified military documents to WikiLeaks:
“Now people are leaking to Anonymous and they’re not coming to us with this document or that document or a CD, they’re coming to us with keys to the kingdom, they’re giving us the passwords and usernames to whole secure databases that we now have free reign over. … The world needs to be concerned.”
Doyon is currently hiding in Canada to avoid prosecution stemming from his Anonymous activities. He claims to have used a sort of “underground railroad” to enter the country and is hoping to flee to Europe soon. If caught, Doyon could face 15 years in jail for participating in an online protest.
In a YouTube video posted by the Montreal Gazette, Doyon dons a Guy Fawkes mask to comment on being labeled a terrorist and the value of releasing confidential information.
“Anonymous is the art of indignation,” Doyon says in the video. “Anonymous is what happens when governments and corporations screw up too badly.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story referred to Dolon as a leader of Anonymous, instead of a spokesperson. The hacktivist collective refrains from such titles and structure.
Photo via YouTube