Cyber activists linked to Anonymous targeted the websites of three major Brazilian banks this week in the context of a wider campaign to protest economic inequality in Latin America’s leading economy.
Anonymous operatives told the daily Valor the attacks against Bradesco, Itau and Banco do Brasil were not meant to negatively affect clients, but rather, were conducted in an effort to protest “the countless inequalities in the country.”
“Message to the big banks: We don’t forget you. Your turn will come,” Anonymous Brazil warned.
Itau, the country’s biggest private bank and the largest in Latin America, confirmed its web page was “unavailable” at times. Similarly, Bradesco acknowledged it had experienced a significant number of hits that exceeded the site’s capacity.
In other Anonymous related news, it turns out that a recent raid executed by the collective against the Salt Lake City Police Department website netted more data than initially believed. The group apparently targeted the police department because its officers will be acting as “foot soldiers” – enforcing a proposed anti-graffiti bill sponsored by state Sen. Karen Mayne.
Salt Lake Police Sgt. Shawn Josephson originally claimed hackers had only managed to lift the names and e-mail addresses of those who signed up to receive SLPD press releases. However, it now seems as if the hack and extract operation yielded (completed) citizen complaint forms detailing drug related activity in the city, along with phone numbers, addresses, email addresses and other personal information.
Government and law enforcement websites have become a favorite target for Anonymous and other hacktivist groups like AntiSec. Indeed, a number of sites were compromised in 2011, including ManTech, IRC Federal, Booz Allen Hamilton, dozens of Texas police departments and Arizona law enforcement officials.
