Technology is a uniquely human form of evolution. We can fly, breathe underwater and connect to any person on the planet in less time than it took our 18th century counterparts to walk to their neighbor's house. Yet the consequences of humankind's recent great leap forward -- the Internet -- are only beginning to show.
On January 21, 2008, a group named Anonymous posted an online video stating they would dismantle the Church of Scientology's website. The organization proceeded to incapacitate the site, keeping it out of service for just under a week. Church of Scientology (CoS) fax machines were also hacked to make them continuously print black ink.
This type of attack -- normally called "a denial of service" -- is "quite a difficult thing to stop," according to Alan Phillips, chief executive of computer security for 7safe.com. Stopping a group like Anonymous is difficult even for an institution with hundreds of millions of dollars backing it. Essentially, we are witnessing the first public sector cyber-war of this scale in history.
Anonymous' stated goal is to bring public attention to the human rights violations of the Church. A 1991 Time Magazine cover story calls the Church of Scientology "The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power." Allegedly, the Church forces members to break contact with anyone who is not a member (including family) and uses brainwashing techniques to recruit members (including children) for their cause. Members are forced to keep "donating" money to climb within Church ranks and gain access to privileged Church information. Among other Church claims to fame is Operation Snow White, in which the CoS carried out the largest known infiltration of the U.S. Government in history, stealing sensitive information from the IRS and other departments.
Online public opinion of Anonymous is divided. It is obvious that the Church of Scientology does not adhere to modern standards of ethics, and that Anonymous is spearheading a retaliation.
The concept of a cyber-army, however, with leadership at the top conducting individual city "raids" is frightening. There is speculation that recruitment for Anonymous has been occurring for over a decade; a Fox News report from July 2007 on Anonymous said that the hackers have stolen thousands of online identities and passwords. Members claim the group has expanded from its hacker base with the addition of human rights activists, and Anonymous successfully organized a large-scale international protest outside of Church of Scientology buildings this Sunday.
Non"computer-savvy individuals can download software from Anonymous-sponsored websites to join the cyber attacks against the CoS and 'deny' the Church of Scientology access to the Internet. If it were not so dangerous, the idea of a collective online karma police force would be beautiful.
Unfortunately, there is no war without casualties. Although Anonymous maintains order within its ranks and is quick to unleash its cyber-fury on anyone who endangers their image as noble crusaders, the escalation of cyber attacks between Anonymous and the CoS hackers who use unsecured civilian computers has dragged innocent bystanders into the battle.
As the new power that is Anonymous grows in numbers and processing power, one has to consider just how much of a threat the group can be. In the modern world, a large group of skilled hackers could destabilize a nation's economy.
The Internet is, among other things, a modern weapon. On January 15, "top spy" Michael McConnell said that the government must be allowed to monitor Internet traffic to prevent a cyber catastrophe. As a 2003 Pentagon document states, the "Department of Defense's...strategy should operate on the premise that it will 'fight the net' as it would a weapons system." Recent, mysterious tampering with undersea Internet cables -- which cut off Internet access in parts of the Middle East -- underscores the potential new problems of the Internet era.
The days of unchallenged Internet neutrality are coming to a close as "online privacy" and "online security" take on new meanings. The war between Anonymous and the Church of Scientology is but one battleground of the larger Evolution Revolution.
And with changing times, our generation must forge a new balance between safety and the essential American ideal: freedom.
