A Rising War Between Hackers

Breaking up is hard to do, but some Anonymous hackers are splintering off into their own group, vowing to hack with integrity and fight censorship. * * * * Top Stories * Why Apple Doesn't Need an IPhone Nano * How Undercover Cops Catch Distracted Drivers * Happiness Is a Warm Text * The Score: IPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S3: Who Will Win? * Do You Need a Windows Phone? Verizon Says Yes Malicious Security, or MalSec, a new hacking collective breaking away from Anonymous, announced its ambitions to fulfill Anonymous' original ideological goal of fighting censorship without hurting innocent people or establishing a hierarchy. "The previous hacker groups were very hypocritical, censoring people in an effort to stop censorship," explained "Discordian," a member of MalSec, distinguishing the new group from LulzSec, another Anonymous spin-off that drew criticism for underhanded antics. Following the arrest and betrayal of hacker leader Sabu, Anonymous is in shambles, struggling to keep its members in line with its intended goals. Forays into a music-sharing service and an Anonymous-branded OS demonstrate how certain members are veering in different directions, and the group failed to follow through on Operation Global Blackout, its threat to shut down the Internet to protest SOPA. Anonymous remains a formidable threat, hacking into Chinese government sites and promising to do more damage in the future. But the group is ramshackle and lacks a coherent direction, making it easy for rogue members to assume the Anonymous mantle but carry out hacks going against its original mission. For example, rogue members like James Jeffrey, who hacked into personal information about women's health services in the U.K., are sullying the collective's reputation and hurting general support for the organization. MalSec is attempting to break away from the baggage that comes with operating through Anonymous and start anew as a more ethical organization. Most members, however, migrated over from LulzSec, and as the collective grows, it will likely encounter the same problems as Anonymous. Like Anonymous, MalSec could have problems maintaining integrity and coherence if it insists on being decentralized and loose, with no structure of accountability to its original ideals and goals. MalSec has noble intentions, but its decision to break away and criticize other groups may create more unrest and infighting in the hacking world.