Exploit: Hacking
Epik: Webhosting
Legendary hacktivist group Anonymous has struck again, this time claiming to have snatched gigabytes of data from Epik, a domain name, hosting and DNS service provider for a variety of right-wing sites including Texas GOP, Gab, Parler and 8chan and extremist groups like the Proud Boys. The hacktivist collective announced in a press release that the data set, which is over 180GB in size, contains a “decade’s worth of data from the company.” It has been released as a torrent. The more than 150 gigabytes of data swept up in the breach shine a light on years of online activities from far-right groups, including those who tried to overturn the 2020 US presidential election.
Members of the whistleblower site Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets) have also made the data set available via alternate means. The Ars Technica story on the incident is absolutely worth reading and includes the press release as well as other actions by Anonymous in the same vein. The group perpetrated this hack as part of its Operation Jane campaign.
Key Takeaway: Hacktivists have the power to do big things quickly. ENISA ‘s 2021Threat Landscape Report predicts that the focus of hacktivists’ activity will remain regional although new movements are gaining traction that are likely to develop hacktivism side-tactics and attract wider public participation for online protest and disruption.