Anonymous members have revealed that associated hackers may have used the organization’s information in the attack on the PlayStation Network.
Non-centralized hacking group Anonymous has denied responsibility for the hack-attacks on the PlayStation Network and on Sony Online Entertainment multiple times, most recently stating that credit card and personal information theft isn’t its bag. However, Anonymous members have apparently divulged that the group may still have been indirectly responsible.
Anonymous associates speaking to the Financial Times reportedly believe that whoever attacked Sony actually was related to Anonymous in some way. One member said that he saw the details of a vulnerability in Sony’s network in an Anonymous chat room shortly before the first attack took place. “The hacker that did this was supporting OpSony’s movements,” he said.
This appears to mean that a “member” of Anonymous could have carried out the attacks, but without “official” sanction from Anonymous “leadership.” The reason for all the quotes is that Anonymous doesn’t have a membership per se, but is made of a group of people that agree to carry out certain operations in certain situations.
Another member explains, as has been explained many times before: “If you say you are Anonymous, and do something as Anonymous, then Anonymous did it. Just because the rest of Anonymous might not agree with it, doesn’t mean Anonymous didn’t do it.”
Other Anonymous members evidently said that the attacks on Sony were “uncalled for” and that the vehement Anonymous denials have stemmed from fear of getting caught by the FBI. They add that “no one is selling anything,” referring primarily to PSN and SOE customer credit card information. Due to the intentionally ethereal nature of Anonymous, we may never know the truth, unless someone gets caught.
Source: Financial Times
