Government Charges 13 Alleged Anonymous Members

The United States government has filed charges against thirteen members of the hacking collective Anonymous, according to Reuters. The alleged members of the group were hit with a grand jury indictment today on charges of various hackery said to have taken place as part of Operation Payback. The indictment took place in a U.S. District Court in Virginia.

The individuals indicted weren't named, but are said to be located in 13 different unspecified states, and to range in age from 21 to 65. Operation Payback was initiated after the Pirate Bay was shut down, and involved the charged hackers using denial of service attacks against certain websites, including (not surprisingly) the Motion Picture Association of America.

The attacks also are said to have taken place against Bank of America, Visa, Mastercard, and the Library of Congress. The indictment details such missions, as well as one quote that was reportedly given as part of the instructions for one such attack: "This will be a calm, coordinated display of blood. We will not be merciful."

This follows multiple arrests and charges the hacking collective has experienced this year at the hands of various law enforcement agencies. In March, for example, a journalist was charged for providing Anonymous hackers with login information leading to the alteration of a Los Angeles Times article. A little over a week later, a Wisconsin man was indicted for helping Anonymous in a 2011 attack against Koch Industries.

SOURCE: Reuters