Recently, hacktivist group Anonymous released its own Operating System (OS) for computers, called Anonymous-OS. Now, if you don’t know what Anonymous is, it is a group of people across the internet who claim to practice and promote certain social causes through online dissidence. For example, to send a message that the takedown of MegaUpload was not appreciated, members of Anonymous hacked and shut down the websites of Universal Music Group, the US Department of Justice, and the RIAA, respectively. As well, Anonymous was one of the driving forces behind the Arab Spring revolutions in 2011, conducting Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks Tunisian and Egpytian governmental websites, among several other “projects.”
While several members of the online community applauded these shows of protest, Anonymous does have a somewhat… dubious record. For example, Anonymous overran the Epilepsy Foundation forums and posted several images designed to trigger seizures and induce migraines. Moreover, Anonymous attacked Sony and the Playstation Network, compromising the private information of thousands. Point being, one cannot necessarily trust Anonymous.
So, what is Anonymous-OS? It’s an operating system based off of Linux’s Ubuntu OS, with additional software specifically designed for hacking, including tools to crack passwords and simulate DDoS attacks. Ostensibly made for security purposes to test for viruses and whatnot on third party websites, I feel that this is a dangerous tool – one that should be avoided. Truth is, Anonymous is a highly enigmatic group – one whose motivations are muddled, and one with no clear leadership or structure as highlighted by its inconsistent history. In fact, one faction of Anonymous, AnonOps, has already tweeted that Anonymous-OS is fake and trojan laden. Moreover, if a person is even interested in testing the kinds of programs and softwares found in Anonymous-OS, there are better, more secure and more reliable options, such as Linux Backtrack. Ultimately, my advice? Avoid downloading software provided by anonymous online groups, especially when they have a sketchy background and when there are better options available.