Anonymous Implicated In Finnish Web Hacks

In the largest ever breach of its kind, Finnish websites were hacked last week and personal data leaked onto a file sharing website, it has been reported.

Personal data for 16,000 people, including names, social security numbers, addresses and contact details, was compromised in the hack, designed to reveal shortcomings in Finnish data security policies.  This is according to hacktivists Anonymous Finland, who claimed responsibility for the sabotage in a manifesto-like statement on Monday.

Like cutting butter with a knife

“We care about digital security and decided to see whether Finnish authorities, companies and institutions offer their users proper security and safely treat and store their info. Sadly, we found out they never did. Getting into the websites and databases was as easy as cutting butter with a knife,” said the group.

Anonymous Finland also claimed responsibility for hacking neo-Nazi site, Suomen Kansallinen Vastarinta (SKV), and leaking its membership application database online. “We strongly recommend and invite you to check it out. You may find out your neighbour or best friend is a dumbass neo-Nazi,” said the group. In its statement, Anonymous demanded the site “cease its social and net activities and dissolve immediately,” and threatened continued attacks against the site and others like it.

But doubts have emerged arisen over Anonymous’ involvement. Other messages purportedly from the hacktivist group have denied responsibility for both actions, in a manner reminiscent of the disputed and eventually debunked plan to go after Mexico’s Los Zetas drug cartel. In reality, there is no way of veryify allegations made by Anonymous because, in its nature, it is a fragmented group of hacktivists without any formal structure or official spokespoerson.

Drunk for Fascism

The publication of the SKV list exposed membership of at least two politicians from the True Finns, a controversial right-wing political party in Finland. Ulla Pyysalo, aide to the True Finns MP, Juho Eerola, has been forced to resign over the matter while Tuomas Okkonen, party board vice president in Oulu claimed on Facebook that he was drunk when he sought membership in the neo-Nazi association, according blogger, Enrique Tessieri.

According to Scandinavian news site, Helsingin Sanomat, The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), now investigating the hacks, had its own technical difficulties Monday, when 60,000 internet users visited its website simultaneously, to read more about the data leak.

The NBI had published a list of first names and birthdates of the 16,000 on its website in order to warn victims to be extra cautious with all their transactions, as the breach has made the particularly vulnerable to phishing and fraud scams.