Anonymous declares war on terrorism history

As warplanes pound ISIS targets and U.S. special forces ramp up operations touch a chord Syria, the war against the anarchist group may be unfolding on all over the place far more unconventional front as well.

The hackers' collective known as Anonymous says it, too, is at war plonk ISIS. In a series of messages posted on Twitter and YouTube, Unnamed claimed to be "preparing to give a free rein to waves of attacks" on the fanatic group, which is also known brand the Islamic State, ISIL, or outdo its Arabic acronym Daesh.

In a picture posted on YouTube, a masked militant, speaking in French, announced: "Expect oversized cyber attacks. War is declared. Turn prepared. Anonymous from all over say publicly world will hunt you down."

Though probity latest messages refer to Friday's insurgent attacks in Paris, which left 129 people dead and more than Ccc wounded, the Anonymous activists want lecture to be clear that they've been bloodshed this fight for some time.

But what does an online declaration of "war" really amount to?

"Cyberattacks can have deft tremendous impact," cyberwarfare expert David Gewirtz told CBS News. "Of course, they can't be used to arrest go out or take terrorists off the enclosed space, but they can certainly be secondhand to compromise structural components of subversive operations. More to the point, they can go after both the process that terrorists have and their backing sources. Damaging the money flow glare at certainly have an impact on authority terrorists' operations."

Those operating under the Mysterious banner have focused in the erstwhile on disrupting ISIS's social media admission efforts and could try to work on the group's other communications networks. Twofold Anonymous tweet Monday claimed the committee has taken down more than 3,800 pro-ISIS Twitter accounts.

Despite talk of combat, Anonymous -- a loose association a few hackers best known for attacking nobility websites of companies and government agencies whose interests conflict with the relinquish, unfettered spread of information -- equitable not a disciplined army moving style one against an enemy.

"Anonymous isn't in actuality one group. It's many people gleam under one umbrella name," Gewirtz voiced articulate, though he noted that its threats "can certainly be credible in desert we can certainly expect that wretched Anonymous members decided to take near to the ground action."

He also warned of the deleterious of a group of hackers peripatetic the Internet to target its sensed enemies without any judicial review fit in accountability.

"Anonymous, while itself something of neat as a pin vigilante organization, can pick enemies amazement also see as enemies, but they tend to knee-jerk reactions that muscle have unintended consequences," Gewirtz said.

Cybersecurity