Anonymous takes down Home Office

HACKTIVISTS from Anonymous took down the UK Home Office web site this past weekend in protest against Government extradition policies.

The attack was reported by a Twitter account called @AnonopUK. "#OpTrialAtHome as been initiated. We are inviting every #Anon to join us in our fight against #Extradition," said the message that it had circulated among Anonymous members earlier this month in reaction to UK extradition decisions.

According to messages that followed the evening attack was a success. It used a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack to disrupt the web site of the Home Office and during the evening it was showing a page unavailable message with some basic contact information.

As news of the downed web site spread, Anonymous reminded anyone that would listen about why it had been targeted. "#OpTrialAtHome is offered in protest of the potential extradition of Gary McKinnon, Christopher Harold Tappin & Richard O'Dwyer," said the @Anon_central Twitter account.

Anonymous has already targeted another web site. That denial of service attack will take place on 14 April and will hit GCHQ, the government's spy agency. This protest will be in support of online privacy.

#OpTrialAtHome Next DDOS attack is on GCHQ.gov.uk Sat 14th April 8pm GMT twitpic.com/97d6yn CONTINUE TO FIGHT. Please RETWEET.

— UK Anon (@UKAnonymous2012) April 9, 2012

This is not the first time that the hacktivists have targeted government web sites, and in the past the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) was attacked. Subsequently some Anonymous members were arrested. µ