Anonymous plans more attacks on Chinese Web sites

Hacktivist group Anonymous reportedly plans to launch more attacks on Chinese government Web sites to "uncover corruption" and take down the "Great Firewall of China".

The group wanted to alert the Chinese government that they "aren't afraid", and were going to "show the truth" and "fight for justice", Anonymous hacker, f0ws3r, told Reuters in a report Monday.

F0ws3r also added that they planned more serious attacks against Chinese Web sites, "a few at a time", to bring down the "Great Firewall of China". However, he declined to give further details on the next round of attacks, except that it may hit bigger targets.

The Anonymous China group consisted of 10 to 12 hackers, most of whom were not based in China, and had "hundreds" of translators working with them to hack the Chinese Web sites, F0ws3r said.

Last week, Anonymous hacked and defaced hundreds of Chinese government, company and general Web sites, publicly posting their administrator accounts, phone numbers, e-mail addressses and tips on how to circumvent the Great Firewall of China.

Hong Lei, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had acknowledged the attacks during a media briefing on Thursday, according to a CNN report, stating that China's large base of Internet users showed the "attraction and openness of China's Internet" and the Chinese government managed the Internet according to law and regulations. He also reiterated that China is a victim of Internet hacker attacks.

According to a U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) press release on Mar. 6, leading Anonymous hacker Hector Xavier Monsegur, who went by the pseudonym "Sabu", together with five other Anonymous hackers and its offshoot organizations were arrested. Monsegur had pleaded guilty to several hacking charges, and was secretly working with the FBI to gather information on the real identities of other hackers, the release said.