Anonymous #OPIsis Attackers Take Down ISIS Twitter Accounts

Hacker group Anonymous has issued a stark warning to followers of ISIS this week, threatening to hunt down and expose supporters.

ISIS, which has carried out beheadings of journalists and the apparent burning alive of a Jordanian fighter pilot, uses social media channels such as Twitter as part of its propaganda strategy.

#OpIsis

But ISIS-affiliated Twitter and Facebook accounts were taken down by Anonymous hacktivists after the group launched a campaign against the group in a video posted on YouTube, entitled #OpIsis. The video advised people that ISIS supporters “are not Muslims”.

It said: “We are Muslims, Christians, Jews. We are hackers, crackers, Hacktivist, phishers, agents, spies, or just the guy from next door,” it says.

“We are young and old, gay or straight […] we come from all races, countries, religions and ethnicities – united as one, divided by zero. We are Anonymous.”

The Hackers News said that ISIS is one of the most active terror groups on social media. It has active accounts and channels on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

But in the Anonymous video, the hacktivists claim to have carried out cyber attacks against large numbers of Facebook and Twitter accounts used to recruit new members.

Anonymous also made public a list of more than a hundred social media accounts that belong to ISIS members. Last year, Twitter suspended around 1,500 ISIS-related accounts following previous public list Anonymous made available.

In response to the attacks, which were largely DDoS operations, ISIS has posted guidelines to members on how to keep their accounts safe from attack.

The guide reads: “After a campaign…Twitter users [of] supporters of the Islamic State [are] facing some trouble opening new accounts. ISIS advises followers to use accounts that date from 2010 or 2011 to remain undetected.

The group said: “The solution is to get ready and expense advantage of these accounts.”

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