Hacker Group Anonymous Declares War on ISIS after Paris Terrorist Attack

In the wake of the recent ISIS terrorist attack on Paris, the infamous hacker group Anonymous has declared war on ISIS, going after Twitter accounts and more.

You've no doubt heard of the terrorist attack on Paris this past Friday, either on the news or through a social media platform, as many profiles now feature a French flag superimposed on the account photo. The terrorist organization calling itself Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the murders of over 130 people. In wake of this incident, the hacker coalition Anonymous has declared war on ISIS.

Whether this is a good thing in the long run or not remains to be seen, but "according to #OpParis, more than 3,000 ISIS-related Twitter accounts have been taken down; Anonymous has also discovered and destroyed secret donation pages on the dark web for the terrorist group." They are putting a dent in the organization, but whether it will be more than just a slight ding in one of the most potent terrorist groups around is unknown. Additionally, one commentator noted "Anonymous' campaign to take down Islamic State Twitter accounts might even be counterproductive, because it could disrupt the government's own campaign to contest Islamic State dominance on Twitter and other social media sites. More than that, exposing certain intel could potentially blow the cover of a much larger government-run counterintelligence operation."

While we may applaud the actions of Anonymous in their targeting of a terrorist organization, Anonymous is not a group that should be touted as a "good" organization. Over the last few years, they've stolen massive amounts of user information from Sony, Fox, LinkedIn, and several other organizations. They've released private information on various individuals in organizations they don't approve of, including social security numbers, credit card numbers, and home addresses.

I hope Anonymous has a strong effect against ISIS, or that at the very least, that they are a thorn in their side. However, I'm concerned that too many people will support a group that has committed criminal acts even against the very people that ISIS has targeted.

In any case, it's always interesting to watch criminals target criminals. Especially when they wear cool Guy Fawkes Masks.

So what do you think of Anonymous? Tell us your opinions in the comments section below!