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After hacking Twitter accounts of Rahul Gandhi and Vijay Mallya, hacker group Legion is now going to target parliament’s website. 
 
The hacker group, in an encrypted interview, told a tech news website: “Next is a dump of sansad-.nic.in emails. Which is - quite big. It includes a lot of _BIG FISH_.” 
 The <keyword id="1334314" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Parliament-website">parliament website</keyword> has email services to government employees. Besides, in an interview with Washington Post, a Legion member claimed to have access to servers of Apollo chain of hospitals, etc. 
 
"We... ourselves have confidential data pertaining to NPCI /IDRBT (hub servers, and even have the encryption keys/ certificates used by some banks in India," Legion said. 
 
In interviews to Washington Post and Factor-Daily.com, they spoke about weak data security practices. The hacker who spoke with the Post described the group as a "bunch of computer g33kz addicted to crime and drugz". 
 
In an interview to Washington Post, Legion said their objective was to put "as much classified information out in the public domain as possible". 
 
In another interview to Factordaily-.com, a Legion member responded to a question about possibly targeting BJP, saying: "We will own them too, when the time is right." 
 
Recently, Legion hacked accounts of Vijay Mallya, Rahul Gandhi, and senior NDTV journalists Ravish Kumar and Barkha Dutt. They published 277 files purported to be documents pertaining to Vijay Mallya's personal and financial dealings. These included credit card bills and scanned copies of his passports. In the case of Dutt, they released a "partial" dump of her emails, 1.2 GB in size. When they breached Gandhi's Twitter account, they threatened to release data on Congress as well.

Legion claims it will now hack parliament’s website, says it includes lot of “big fish”

The Indian government has stepped in and is going to work on a war footing in the wake of hacking of Twitter and personal accounts of Congress Vice-President <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword>, liquor baron <keyword id="14678" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vijay-Mallya">Vijay Mallya</keyword>, and senior journalists <keyword id="357957" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Barkha-Dutt">Barkha Dutt</keyword> and <keyword id="319216" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ravish-Kumar">Ravish Kumar</keyword> by Legion group. They have also threatened to hack parliament’s website. 
 IT Minister <keyword id="6354886" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ravi-Shankar-Prasad">Ravi Shankar Prasad</keyword> has called for an audit of entire IT infrastructure and ordered review of the financial sector starting immediately with the National Payment Corporation of India (<keyword id="193629" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="NPCI">NPCI</keyword>), review of the IT Act to make it stronger and setting up a crack team to respond to unusual incidents on a war footing. 
 
The government has also asked Twitter and payment wallets to strengthen their network. NPCI is an umbrella organisation for all retail payments system in India. 
 
"There is huge traffic flowing through the IT platforms, if there is any mishap, the systems have to be resilient and we have to take appropriate measures. We have to be alert, there is nothing to be scared of," said Prasad. 
 
A meeting was also called of bankers and more than 50 officers from IDFC, ICICI, SBI, Canara Bank, etc attended it. 
 
"We have sought details from all the people whose accounts have been hacked and Twitter has also been asked to strengthen its security and to pay attention to any unusual movement," Prasad told ET.

Govt orders audit of IT infrastructure after Legion group hacks multiple accounts

India’s <keyword id="6354616" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> isn’t really safe. After series of hacks last week by a group who calls them ‘<keyword id="121122" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Legion">Legion</keyword>’, it’s time for journalists to be worried. After <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> and <keyword id="14678" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vijay-Mallya">Vijay Mallya</keyword>, Legion just hacked <keyword id="6420486" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="NDTV">NDTV</keyword> journalists <keyword id="357957" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Barkha-Dutt">Barkha Dutt</keyword> and <keyword id="319216" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ravish-Kumar">Ravish Kumar</keyword>’s Twitter profiles. 
 The hackers posted on credentials of <keyword id="19096" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="dutt">Dutt</keyword>’s email account and also a partial email dump. 
 
Legion kept on posting tweets that confirmed they had taken over the control of both the profiles. 
 
 
 The hackers have also warned to hack <keyword id="3257" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lalit-Modi">Lalit Modi</keyword>’s Twitter account soon. 
 
(Image: India Times)

Twitter accounts of journalists Barkha
Dutt and Ravish Kumar hacked

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Amid the <keyword id="13928057" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="eurovision-song-contest" source="Orion">Eurovision Song Contest</keyword>, Italian police thwarted cyberattacks from pro-Russian <keyword id="12217427" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hackers" source="Orion">hackers</keyword>.</li><li>Police blocked "attacks on network infrastructure" by the hacker groups Killnet and Legion, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italian-police-prevents-pro-russian-hacker-attacks-during-eurovision-contest-2022-05-15/">Reuters</a> reported.</li></ul>Italian authorities thwarted cyberattacks from pro-Russian hackers during the Eurovision Song Contest. During contest performances and voting, Italian cybersecurity police blocked "attacks on network infrastructure" by the hacker groups Killnet and Legion, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italian-police-prevents-pro-russian-hacker-attacks-during-eurovision-contest-2022-05-15/">Reuters</a> reported. Italian police also surveilled Telegram channels affiliated with the hacker groups to trace their location, the outlet reported. Killnet threatened to "send 10 billion requests" to Eurovision's online voting system and "add votes to some other country," according to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2022/05/14/eurovision-2022-final-russian-hackers-say-they-can-stop-ukraine-kalush-orchestra-win/?sh=2323e3b971d2">Forbes</a>. Last week, Killnet claimed responsibility for hacking the Italian Senate, the upper house of parliament, and the National Health Institute, making it impossible to access websites for the agencies, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pro-russian-hackers-target-italy-defence-ministry-senate-websites-ansa-news-2022-05-11/">Reuters</a> reported. Italian authorities said the cyberattacks were "serious incidents," noting that they did not cause any damage. <keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword> was banned from participating in Eurovision following the Kremlin-ordered invasion of Ukraine, according to Forbes.On Saturday, Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra won the contest, prompting a promise from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukraine will host the next Eurovision contest. "Our courage impresses the world, our music conquers Europe!" Zelenskyy said, per <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-kalush-orchestra-sweeps-victory-eurovision-2022-05-14/">Reuters</a>. "I thank the Kalush Orchestra for this victory and everyone who gave us your votes! I am sure that the sound of victory in the battle with the enemy is not far off."

Italy thwarted cyberattacks from pro-Russian hackers during the Eurovision Song Contest

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"House of Flame and Shadow" by Sarah J. Maas comes out on January 30. </li><li>The "Crescent City" series has a massive cast of characters that can be hard to keep track of.</li></ul>The wait is almost over. On January 30, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sarah-j-maas-confirmed-working-on-next-acotar-book-2023-9">Sarah J. Maas</a> will release "House of Flame and Shadow," the third book in her best-selling <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sarah-j-maas-crescent-city-acotar-release-details-2023-9">"Crescent City" series</a>.The series follows Bryce Quinlan, a half-fae living in Lunathion, also known as Crescent City, on the continent Valbara on the planet Midgard. Fans have been anxiously awaiting the third installment, as the second book in the series, "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sarah-j-maas-books-ranking-most-emotional-2023-10">House of Sky and Breath</a>," ended on a dramatic cliffhanger."Crescent City" has a huge cast of characters, most of which are magical creatures referred to as Vanir. That cast will likely only expand in "House of Flame and Shadow," as the book is set to cross over with Maas' "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sarah-j-maas-books-reading-order-acotar-crescent-city-2023-3">A Court of Thorns and Roses</a>" series, which has four books and a novella packed with characters.To help prepare you for the third book, Business Insider created a guide to some of the most important characters in the "Crescent City" universe.The rest of this article contains major spoilers for the "Crescent City" and "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series. And if you want a refresher on the "Crescent City" plot so far, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sarah-j-maas-crescent-city-details-to-remember-2023-12">check it out here.</a><h2>Bryce Quinlan is the protagonist of the 'Crescent City' series, but her mate Hunt Athalar and brother Ruhn Danaan are key to the plot too</h2>As a half-fae, Bryce has both a human and a fae parent. Her mother is Ember Quinlan, a human, and she considers her stepfather, a human sharpshooter named Randall Silago, her real dad.But her birth father is Einar Danaan, known as the Autumn King to the public. Einar is the ruler of the Valbaran fae, and his son, Ruhn Danaan, Crown Prince of the Valbaran fae, is Bryce's half-brother.Bryce and Ruhn are heirs to the Starborn fae lineage, giving them power over starlight and the ability to wield the Starsword, an ancient sword forged from an actual star. Bryce has more starlight power than Ruhn, though he is a full-blooded fae. Ruhn also has power from his mother's lineage, allowing him to wield shadows and speak into other people's minds — the latter of which he keeps secret from most people.Bryce can blind people with her power and has an eight-pointed star scar on her chest that glows at different times. Bryce's power also allows her to teleport, and she can absorb other Vanir's powers for short bursts of time because she made the Drop through a gate, where Vanir drop their power daily.<div type="image" title="The cover of &quot;House of Flame and Shadow&quot; by Sarah J. Maas." height="3077" width="2000" msid="106940495" hostid="261" sizebytes="428096"></div>In addition to her Starborn abilities, Bryce became a portal after her friend Danika Fendyr (more on her in a bit) inked Luna's Horn, a magical object that creates portals, onto her back, allowing her to travel between worlds.Bryce meets her mate Orion (Hunt) Athalar in "House of Earth and Blood," though they don't recognize themselves as such until "House of Sky and Breath." Hunt is an angel, a species formally referred to as a Malakh on Midgard. Hunt can fly thanks to his wings, and he has power over lightning.Hunt was previously a slave owned by the republic as punishment for rebelling against them, but he was freed at the end of "House of Earth and Blood." However, he still works for the 33rd Legion as a member of the triarii, the private protection for the governor of Crescent City, who is always an archangel.At the end of "House of Sky and Breath," Ruhn and Hunt help Bryce escape to another world to save their planet from the Asteri, evil creatures who have been leeching power from its citizens for centuries.<h2>Bryce's late friend Danika Fendyr and her Pack of Devils move the plot along despite dying in the first book</h2>Bryce met her best friend Danika Fendyr at college, and they were attached at the hip until Danika died at the beginning of "House of Earth and Blood." Danika was a powerful wolf shifter, the Alpha of the Pack of Devils, and the heir apparent to the Valbaran wolves. She was also a bloodhound, allowing her to sniff people's bloodlines.She worked quietly to undermine the Asteri until her death, tattooing the horn on Bryce's back and partnering with a human named Sofie Renast to uncover how the Asteri came to Midgard.<div type="image" title="The cover of &quot;House of Earth and Blood&quot; by Sarah J. Maas." height="3039" width="2000" msid="106940497" hostid="261" sizebytes="302954"></div>Before her death, she also secretly mated the angel Baxian Argos, known to most as the Helhound, and left a luxury apartment to Bryce in her will, where she kept clues about her rebellious activities. Baxian tried to help Bryce and Hunt throughout "House of Sky and Breath," and the Asteri took him prisoner alongside Ruhn and Hunt at the end of the book.Danika's pack included Connor Holstrom, her Second, who was romantically interested in Bryce. The Archangel Micah murdered Danika, Connor, and the rest of the pack after she stole Luna's Horn. Bryce killed Micah when she discovered who murdered her friends.<h2>Bryce and Ruhn's friends back them up throughout the series</h2>Ruhn's best friends are Declan Emmet and Tristan Flynn, two fae with whom he went through his Ordeal, a magical challenge fae must overcome. The trio also work for the Auxiliary, Crescent City's law enforcement agency, and live in a house together.Declan is skilled at cyber security, often hacking into different networks to help his friends, and Flynn, who has earth magic, will inherit the title of lord when his father dies. Declan and Flynn helped Bryce, Hunt, and Ruhn break into the Asteri's palace remotely in "House of Sky and Breath," though it's unclear if the Asteri knew of their involvement.Aside from Danika, Bryce also became good friends with Fury Axtar and Juniper Andromeda in college. Juniper is a faun and professional dancer, while Fury is a Vanir whose species is classified. She works as an assassin for hire. Juniper and Fury also revealed to Bryce they were in a romantic relationship at the end of "House of Earth and Blood."<h2>Mer Tharion Ketos and wolf shifter Ithan Holstrom worked with Bryce, Ruhn, and Hunt in 'House of Sky and Breath'</h2>Tharion and Ithan were introduced in "House of Earth and Blood," but their plots became more involved in the second book in the "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sarah-j-maas-shut-down-fan-theories-about-crescent-city-2023-9">Crescent City</a>" series. They also both move into Ruhn's house during the second book.As a mer, Tharion lived in an underwater city ruled by the River Queen, and he was her Captain of Intelligence at the start of the series. He was also betrothed to her daughter after being intimate with her years ago, though he doesn't want to be with her. Tharion works with Bryce and Hunt to discover the whereabouts of Sofie Renast's brother Emile, though he backs off when he finds out Emile lacks magical powers.Tharion also leaves the River Queen's court in "HOSAB," offering himself to the Viper Queen instead so he doesn't have to live underwater. A snake shifter, the Viper Queen rules over the Meat Market in Crescent City, where seedy dealings often go down. Those working for her often become addicted to her venom.Ithan is Connor's younger brother, and he had a promising career as a sunball player, though he quit after his brother's death. Sabine Fendyr, Danika's mother, kicks him out of his wolf pack at the beginning of "House of Sky and Breath" for defending Bryce in the press, making him a lone wolf. Danika's father is Mordoc, a cruel dreadwolf who works for the Asteri.Ithan also loved Bryce, which he always kept to himself because of Connor and Bryce's connection. In "HOSAB," he goes with Bryce to a mystic, discovering a wolf shifter separated from her family. The Prime of the wolves reveals to him the wolf is likely the lost Fendyr heir who could challenge Sabine for the Prime position when he dies. At the end of the book, Ithan steals the unnamed wolf from the mystic, hoping to protect her from Sabine.<h2>The estranged half-sisters the Hind, aka Lidia Cervos, and Hypaxia Enador were major players in 'HOSAB'</h2><div type="image" title="&quot;House of Sky and Breath&quot; by Sarah J. Maas." height="3004" width="2000" msid="106940500" hostid="261" sizebytes="315644"></div>Hypaxia Enador became Queen of the Valbaran Witches in "House of Earth and Blood" after her mother died. She is both a witch and a necromancer, allowing her to speak to the dead. She inherited her necromancy gifts from her father.When she became queen, the Autumn King arranged a marriage between Ruhn and Hypaxia, hoping to increase the fae's power in Valbara. Ruhn and Hypaxia have friendly interactions in "House of Earth and Blood," but unbeknownst to him, the witch has a secret lover. She is involved with Celestina, the archangel who replaces Micah as Crescent City's governor after his death. Their relationship is a secret to all but Bryce and Hunt, who walk in on them being intimate at a ball.Lidia Cervos and Hypaxia share a mother, but Lidia's father's family raised her because she inherited his deer shifter gifts instead of her mother's witch powers. Lidia was recruited by the evil archangel Sandriel (who is killed by Hunt in "House of Earth and Blood") to join her triarii, and she became not only her spymaster but spymaster for the Asteri. She is also the cruel angel Pollux Antonius' lover, seeming to thrive among the evil.But unbeknownst to everyone, Lidia is a spy for the rebel group Ophion, going undercover as Agent Daybright with no one knowing she hates the Asteri and Pollux. Ruhn, as Agent Night, connects with Day using his mind-speaking powers while helping Bryce search for Emile, and they fall in love without knowing who the other is.Lidia won't tell Ruhn who she is even after discovering his identity, only revealing herself to save him and Bryce when they are captured after breaking into the Asteri's Archives at the end of "House of Sky and Breath."<h2>Aidas, a Hel prince, is trying to free Midgard of the Asteri, which includes Rigelus</h2>In "Crescent City," Bryce has contact with Aidas, one of the seven princes of Hel. Rather than being a place of punishment for the dead, Hel is another planet in the "Crescent City" universe. It's considered an evil place to the public, particularly because demons can be called to Midgard from it. But Bryce discovered in "HOSAB" that Hel has been trying to help Midgard's citizens fight against the Asteri for thousands of years. The Asteri tried to conquer Hel before coming to Midgard, and the princes killed Sirius, one of the Asteri, while pushing them out.Aidas visited Bryce when she was a child in the form of a cat, and he later appeared to her as a handsome blond man when she called on him as an adult. Aidas is invested in Bryce's Starborn power, as he previously fought against the Asteri alongside the last Starborn Queen, Theia.Six members of the Asteri still exist on Midgard, and they're led by Rigelus, known as the Bright Hand of the Asteri. The Asteri's power is described as almost god-like in "Crescent City," and unbeknownst to the world, they feed off of the firstlight Vanir release when they make the Drop, where they come into their magical power and become immortal, and the secondlight they release after they die.Rigelus intends to use the horn on Bryce's back to get to the planet her breed of fae originated from, as he wants to feed on them again. She escapes him thanks to assistance from Ruhn and Hunt, intending to open a portal to Hel in the hopes she can find Aidas and get his help ridding her planet of the Asteri.<h2>The cast of 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' will also be important in 'House of Flame and Shadow'</h2><div type="image" title="A side-by-side of the cover of &quot;A Court of Thorns and Roses&quot; and a headshot of Sarah J. Maas." height="1080" width="1440" msid="106940503" hostid="261" sizebytes="100572"></div>To her dismay, Bryce doesn't reach Hel, instead finding herself in a strange, idyllic land. That land is Prythian, where the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series is set.Bryce is only formally introduced to Rhysand in "House of Sky and Breath," though she appears to interact with Feyre Archeron, Nesta Archeron, Amren, Cassian, and Azriel. Feyre and Rhysand are the High Lord and High Lady of the Night Court, and the others serve in their court. Nesta is also one of Feyre's sisters, and she is mated to Cassian.All the court members are fae, though Amren used to be another more powerful creature before she sacrificed that part of herself during a war in "A Court of Wings and Ruin."Bryce's interactions with the Night Court are brief in "HOSAB," but <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sarah-j-maas-halloween-costumes-acotar-throne-of-glass-2023-10">Maas</a> revealed several connections between "Crescent City" and the "ACOTAR" universe in the chapter. First, Bryce thinks Rhysand is her brother when she first sees him because he looks nearly identical to Ruhn. In addition, the Starsword lights up when placed next to Azriel's knife, Truth-Teller, indicating it is Truth-Teller's long-lost twin weapon, Gwydion, which is mentioned several times in "ACOTAR." Likewise, Bryce discovers she can communicate with Rhysand and Amren by speaking the ancient language of the fae.Maas hasn't revealed what role the cast of "ACOTAR" will play in "House of Flame and Shadow," but she <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sarah-j-maas-crescent-city-acotar-release-details-2023-9">teased</a> an interaction between Bryce, Nesta, and Azriel in an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sarah-j-maas-crescent-city-acotar-release-details-2023-9">excerpt from the book</a> that she shared on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C17hDhju94-/?hl=en">Instagram</a>."Bryce began running again, hurtling through the cave. Back toward Nesta and Azriel. And prayed there was something left for her to save," it read.

A guide to the most important characters in Sarah J. Maas' 'Crescent City' series

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"Hacktivists" <keyword id="169875" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="anonymous">Anonymous</keyword> may have been behind a video attacking <keyword id="6355315" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="elon-musk">Elon Musk</keyword>'s cryptocurrency comments. </li><li>The video accuses Musk of constantly trolling the crypto markets with tweets that "destroyed lives."</li><li>It follows an 8% slide in <keyword id="6354947" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bitcoin">bitcoin</keyword>'s value after Musk hinted at a split with the digital token. </li></ul>A YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG07x3aN3b0">video</a> claimed to have been made by "hacktivist" group Anonymous targeted Elon Musk for "constantly trolling" cryptocurrency markets.The video, which was posted on Saturday, accused the <keyword id="107096" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tesla">Tesla</keyword> CEO of playing with the crypto markets with his tweets.A person wearing a Guy Fawkes mask and speaking with a digitally modified voice, said: "For the past several years you have enjoyed one of the most favorable reputations of anyone in the billionaire class because you have tapped into the desire that many of us have to live in a world with electric cars and space exploration."The person added: "Recently… people are beginning to see you as another narcissistic rich due who is desperate for attention."As <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2021/06/06/did-anonymous-really-just-threaten-elon-musk-over-viral-bitcoin-tweets/?sh=62abffea3279">Forbes pointed out,</a> however, it's not easy to verify whether the video was genuinely posted by Anonymous. The outlet noted the most popular Twitter Anonymous account, <a href="https://twitter.com/YourAnonNews" target="_blank" title="https://twitter.com/YourAnonNews" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">YourAnonNews</a> has already denied being behind the video.When asked if they could confirm the video was published by them, <a href="https://twitter.com/YourAnonNews/status/1401231247058296839" target="_blank" title="https://twitter.com/YourAnonNews/status/1401231247058296839" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">the tweeted response</a> was: "Again, all the best - but no," Forbes reported.There's no doubt though that Musk is very vocal when it comes to the subject of cryptocurrencies. Over the last few months, he has tweeted to comment on various crypto tokens. On some occasions, their values have either plunged or soared following his tweets. Most recently, Musk signaled a potential split with bitcoin by <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1400620080090730501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">posting a broken-heart emoji</a> to Twitter, after which the cryptocurrency slid by <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/news/bitcoin-price-elon-musk-tweets-potential-split-broken-heart-emoji-2021-6-1030494264">as much as 8%</a> on Friday.His tweet came three weeks after Tesla <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-bans-bitcoin-xayments-due-to-impact-on-environment-2021-5#:~:text=Insider's%20business%20page.-,Tesla%20has%20suspended%20vehicle%20purchases%20made%20using%20bitcoin%2C%20according%20to,tweet%20from%20CEO%20Elon%20Musk.&amp;text=Cambridge's%20Centre%20for%20Alternative%20Finance,since%20the%20beginning%20of%202020.20of%202020.">suspended bitcoin payments</a> over the negative environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining. The hacking group claimed that his "erratic" public behavior in relation to cryptocurrencies "show a clear disregard for the average working person." The video targeting Musk gained more than a million views in 24 hours. It ended by saying: "You may think you are the smartest person in the room, but now you have met your match. We are Anonymous! We are legion. Expect us." Anonymous is a loosely affiliated group of hackers specializing in everything from data retrieval to network shutdowns. It experienced renewed internet fame last year after a video calling out the Minneapolis Police Department went viral, <a href="https://www.insider.com/anonymous-minneapolis-police-department-video-fancams-memes-epstein-twitter-2020-6">as Insider reported</a>.

Elon Musk has been criticized for his 'trolling' crypto tweets in a video claimed to have been made by Anonymous

“We want to bring down the corporations, we want the government to fall, and we want to end the oppression of <keyword id="42111" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wall-Street">Wall Street</keyword>. Our aim is to bring down the structure of power to a horizontal level. Where the elite will be destroyed and the oppressed will be empowered.” 
 
Hacktivists can be characterized as politically propelled programmers. Hacktivists are unlike other hackers, in light of the fact that their inspirations are driven by the quest for social change, instead of looking for benefit or scholarly interest. It’s a new controversial form of civic participation, which will in all likelihood keep on having an effect on the Internet and the world. 
 It has been asserted that anarchism has embraced a 'very irresolute' association with technology, 'wavering between a bitter critique driven by the experiences of industrialism, and an almost naive optimism around scientific development. Early anarchists, including Malatesta, Goldman and <keyword id="3487707" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="kropotkin">Kropotkin</keyword>, saw technology as giving workers an emancipatory potential from capitalism, while oppositional readings of innovation from Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, in any case, strengthened the critical perspective that technology can just have the necessities of capital encoded into it from the start. 
 
“Hacktivism is far from dead. We, by which I mean ourselves and our confidants, have broken into frameworks. We have mutilated sites, we have discharged information, we have disseminated that information to those we accept to be equipped for making utilization of the information, yet I feel unsatisfied with our outcomes. It's altogether conceivable that my desires are too high, yet a veritable dialog among hackers, and even potentially those seeking to resemble us, would be very valuable,” quoted a hacktivist. 
 
“Last came Anarchy; he rode 
On a white horse, splashed with blood; 
He was pale even to the lips, 
Like Death in the Apocalypse. 
 
And be wore a kingly crown; 
And in his grasp a sceptre shone; 
And on his brow this mark I saw-- 
I am God, and King, and Law!” – The Masque of Anarchy 
 
The Rise of Anarcho-Hacktivist Groups 
 
“We are<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/8-Things-That-Anonymous-The-Hacker-Terrorist-Group-Has-Done-For-Good/articleshow/21149861.cms"> Anonymous</a>. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us” 
 In recent years, newspapers have been loaded with news of online assaults against governments and corporate sites asserted by gatherings calling themselves <keyword id="169875" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="anonymous">Anonymous</keyword> and Lulzsec. Hactivism did not begin with Anonymous, in some ways it could be seen as a take after on to gatherings like the Yippies and the later Yes Men. Electronic disobidience retreats back to 1994, to gatherings like the Zippies, the Electronic Disturbance Theater, Milw0rm, The Electrohippies, The 1984 Network Liberty Alliance, and the Hackbloc collective. 
 The hacker association ‘Cult of the Dead Cow’ gave the term Hacktivism in 1996 and established the <keyword id="3487706" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="hacktivismo">Hacktivismo</keyword> group in 1999, which had created instruments to subvert restriction and aid freedom of access to data, for example, to help human rights activists in China. As opposed to Anonymous they don't regard website defacement or denial of service attacks as hactivism. 
 
Anonymous started on the message board 4chan, one of their crusades being directed against the Church of Scientology. In some ways, Anonymous are to a greater degree a strategy and outlook than an authentic firm gathering as such, as they have no order and control structure. 
 Those on the left are undoubtedly aware of gatherings like <keyword id="6409883" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="wikileaks">Wikileaks</keyword> who have increased colossal media consideration and recognition by human rights and media straightforwardness by discharging reports to the general population which have unsettled the quills of lawmakers unwilling to having their filthy clothing broadcast out in the open. 
 
Anonymous rushed to act against Paypal when they solidified the record of Wikileaks -- an Anonymous statement explained that the organisations share similar goals of greater transparency and less censorship. 
 
‘V’ for Vendetta: We Are The Legion 
 
Not the majority of Anonymous' exercises include assaulting systems or sites. Anonymous has likewise been active in organising public protests. Be that as it may, the web and IRC channels are the soul of the gathering. If not for the Internet, Anonymous would've never existed. 
 
A Brief Introduction to Anonymous’ recent Agitations 
 
- Anonymous Vs the Church of Scientology: The inspiration driving the sudden clash identified with an inside limited time video for the Church, featuring Tom Cruise, which had been spilled onto the web. The substance was humiliating for the association and their famously forceful legitimate group instantly started issuing notices to bring down any site that facilitated the video with dangers of lawful activity in the event that they didn't agree. This struck at the very heart of issues that programmers at Anonymous held sacrosanct - free discourse and no-control. Their video reaction debilitated to demolish Scientology 'for the benefit of your supporters, for the benefit of humanity', denoting the start of a maintained battle of DDoS assaults, telephone tricks, and inevitably coming full circle with an invitation to battle for adherents to take to the avenues and picket Scientology workplaces around the globe. This appeared a possibly humiliating move for a hidden and unique group of programmers. So It came as a gigantic astound when the day arrived and more than 10,000 individuals gathered in a few noteworthy urban communities over the globe, numerous wearing the embraced characteristic of Anonymous - a Guy Fawkes cover like the one that showed up in the motion picture V for Vendetta. Hacktivism had left the dinky domains of cellars and rooms and turn out onto the boulevards. 
 
 
- <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/How-the-hit-show-Mr-Robot-was-shaped-by-its-creators-experience-with-the-Arab-Spring/articleshow/51387169.cms">The Arab Spring</a>: It was shocking then that amidst those turbulent days the development had what numerous accept was its finest hour. After Wikileaks discharged the reports the site was expeditiously obstructed by the Tunisian government. Further examination of occasions in the North African nation uncovered charged rates of censorship, Facebook hacking to change hostile to government proclamations furthermore track the personalities of those taking a stand in opposition to the initiative. Anonymous individuals, working with kindred hacktivist bunch Telecomix, took out a few authority locales, and gave Tunisians apparatuses to stay away from discovery while on the web. The Tunisian president Ben Ali additionally had his servers hacked by activists and the data was sent to Wikileaks for them to showcase it on their site. At last the dictatorship toppled under the heaviness of online assault. 
 
- This start in the Arab Springs uprising offered fearlessness to those in Egypt who were additionally battling to expel their hid dictatorship. In striking back the administration strengths attempted to control web access for the entire country so that the general population would be kept from utilizing online networking to arrange themselves and convey a message of their situation to the world. Again Anonymous and Telecomix made sure show the footage of dissenters conflicting with forceful government powers outside the nation. They additionally made different dial-up web access points, taught Egyptians how to validate SSL keys and declarations to go around the forced confinements, and propelled their own DDoS attacks on government sites. 
 
- Operation Payback: This is how anonymous explained this operation 
 
“To whom it may concern, 
This is to inform you that we, Anonymous, are organizing an Operation called “Payback is a bitch”. Anonymous will be attacking the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), the MPAA (Motion Pictures Association of America), and their hired gun AIPLEX for attacks against the popular torrent and file sharing site, the Piratebay (www.thepiratebay.org). We will prevent users to access said enemy sites and we will keep them down for as long as we can. But why, you ask? Anonymous is tired of corporate interests controlling the internet and silencing the people’s rights to spread information, but more importantly, the right to SHARE with one another. The RIAA and the MPAA feign to aid the artists and their cause; yet they do no such thing. In their eyes is not hope, only dollar signs. Anonymous will not stand this any longer. We wish you the best of luck. 
 
Sincerely, 
Anonymous, 
We are legion.” 
 
Where, then, does this leave abstract hacktivism as a model for post-anarchist organization? On one-hand, abstract hacktivism offers a potent practical model for understanding how the interaction of human, social phenomena and nonhuman, material technology can produce dynamic socio-technical assemblages characterized by an experimental self-organization continually prototyping new forms of social and technological agency. Moreover, theoretically such organizational logic viewed through the lens of post-anarchism’s immanent space ensures that any such hacktivist assemblages are ultimately irreducible to universal identities, concepts and practices thus resisting any dominant forms of political, economic, technological, social or other ‘striation’, explains McQuillan in Critical hacktivism.

‘Anonymous’: Annihilating Corporations and Government Since 1999

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Frozen food has traditionally had a bad rap, making one think of sloppy pizzas and microwavable TV dinners&#xa0;- not nutritious fruits and vegetables.But soup and smoothie subscription service Daily Harvest has been able to successfully counter that perception, by putting its organic smoothies, overnight oats, chia puddings and sundaes front and center <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dailyharvest/">on Instagram.</a>A little over a year since it went national, the startup has managed to surpass 1 million smoothie sales, attract<a href="http://fortune.com/2017/06/08/gwyneth-serena-frozen-food/"> high-profile investors like Gwyneth Paltrow and Serena Williams</a> and amass a significant number of social media followers, particularly on Instagram."Instagram has absolutely helped us build our brand," Rachel Drori, Daily Harvest's founder and CEO, told Business Insider. "Both our packaging and products are visually vibrant, and lend themselves perfectly to Instagram."Instagram is the biggest driver of Daily Harvest's marketing. The startup has sidestepped traditional <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> to focus on social media, with Instagram forming the bulk of its efforts. A majority of Daily Harvest's marketing efforts on the platform have been organic posts, sprinkled with with paid ads here and there.The brand's Instagram strategy involves highlighting its bright and colorful ingredients and boxes, usually pitted against a white backdrop so that the colors pop even more. It frequently posts both images and GIFs that play up and tap into the "food porn" aspect of the platform.An extra dose of color is added to its shots whenever there is a new product launch. Daily Harvest, for example, just launched its range of healthy sundaes, turning its Instagram page into a mosaic of pink and yellow.The brand has also relied on partnering with influencers, including&#xa0;Ali Mafucci of Inspiralized, who most recently took over&#xa0;its Instagram Stories for&#xa0;the sundae launch.Daily Harvest is hardly unique. A legion of new health-focused brands, from meal plans like Whole30 and delivery services like Sakara Life, have built their businesses on Instagram. They have managed to elbow their way into the mainstream by catering to evolving priorities in health and fitness, as well as by employing smart and creative approaches to marketing on Instagram.A major reason for the rise of these brands is the paradigm shift in American attitudes toward diet and fitness in general. The definition of health and fitness is no longer focused on fixing what is wrong and losing weight but rather on overall wellness, nutrition and betterment, said Joanne McKinney, chief strategy officer at the Burns Group."This attitude and new level of intrinsic motivation has set the stage for brands like Daily Harvest to emerge," she said. "Companies that enable small, positive actions towards this enhanced state of betterment, are very relevant today."Drori admitted that Daily Harvest's success can be also be attributed to the fact that it built itself on the back of a lifestyle, rather than products. It focuses on pitching itself as a helpful friend, rather than a company selling products, she said. A lot of this involves educating its customers&#xa0;- frozen produce that the brand uses is apparently more nutritious than fresh produce, as it is picked at peak ripeness and frozen within hours to maintain its nutrients."Our target consumer is one who subscribes to a healthy lifestyle, but is busy and has time restrictions," she said. "We have differentiated ourselves by not thinking of ourselves as a CPG brand, we're more about debunking all the myths around frozen food and being your health hack in the freezer."Daily Harvest is also at the forefront of another hot trend in the food industry: the proliferation of e-commerce and subscription-based services for the grocery category. Its business model brings fresh frozen food directly to consumers, avoiding the freezer aisle in the grocery store which, to millennials, feels more like a location for processed foods, said McKinney."By going direct-to-consumer via their subscription model, they are able to define their own positive take on frozen - and bring this perspective to life via all their social channels," she said.<div> </div><div> </div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/top-marketers-at-cannes-on-reaching-millennials-kids-plus-sports-marketing-2017-7">Top marketers at Cannes told us how they're reaching millennials and kids who avoid advertising</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="lpcXJ0YjE6fQL1LMk_vo6427Cr0zJVXn" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

How a little-known frozen food startup is boosting its footprint through Instagram

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>After deadly terrorist attacks in Paris, hacking collective Anonymous has declared war on ISIS - and a Silicon Valley startup has fallen in the firing line.CloudFlare is a service that helps websites stay online in the face of otherwise-overwhelming traffic: It acts as an intermediary or filter, and is a vital protection against DDoS attacks (sending huge amounts of traffic at a site to try and make it collapse under the weight).The six-year-old company doesn't discriminate when it comes to picking customers - even allegedly <a href="http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1892477-anti-terrorist-hacker-group-reveals-40-isis-websites-protected-by-us-tech-firm/?photo=2">protecting dozens websites affiliated with ISIS</a> - and it's come under fire from some members of Anonymous as a result.<div></div><div></div><div></div>CloudFlare CEO Matthew Prince has now hit back at his critics, suggesting that Anonymous is being hypocritical, given many of its members apparently use the service."I did see a Twitter handle said that they were mad at us," <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/18/cloudflare_ceo_rubbishes_anonymous_claims_of_terrorist_support/">he told The Register</a>. "I'd suggest this was armchair analysis by kids - it's hard to take seriously. Anonymous uses us for some of its sites, despite pressure from some quarters for us to take Anonymous sites offline."He added: "Even if we were hosting sites for ISIS, it wouldn't be of any use to us ... I should imagine those kinds of people pay with stolen credit cards and so that's a negative for us."Prince told The Register that CloudFlare is willing to stop protecting websites if approached through the proper US legal channels, although "more often than not, investigators want him to keep sites up rather than take them down."<a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/anonymous-opisis-cloudflare-refuses-block-service-pro-isis-websites-1495758">In a separate interview with International Business Times</a>, the CEO elaborated on this. "Individuals have decided that there is content they disagree with but the right way to deal with this is to follow the established law enforcement procedures. There is no society on Earth that tolerates mob rule because the mob is fickle."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>Anonymous, a loose-knit band of hackers and activists, <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/anonymous-has-declared-war-on-isis-2015-11">declared "war" on ISIS</a> following deadly terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday that left more than 120 dead and hundreds injured, which the militant Jihadist group claimed responsibility for.Anonymous activists have leaked the Twitter accounts and personal details of people it claims are affiliated with ISIS, and claim responsibility for having more than 5,000 Twitter accounts deleted, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/paris-attacks-anonymous-operation-isis-activists-begin-leaking-details-of-suspected-extremist-a6737291.html">according to The Independent</a>.<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/isis-anonymous-response-paris-attacks-2015-11?_ga=1.242601728.384081371.1438084426">ISIS-affiliated accounts have since shot back at the campaign</a>, labelling Anonymous "idiots." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/easy-ways-mac-run-faster-tips-computers-2015-11">Easy ways to make your Mac run faster</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="V4dXF0eDp4l1t_Y4QB44wgJIZjYDBHJP" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

A tech CEO is firing back at Anonymous' claim that his startup is helping ISIS

<ul><li><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomson ReutersWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, Britain</div></div></div>Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange has been actively supporting Catalonia's push for independence</li><li>The Kremlin has seized on Assange's support for Catalonia in an effort to destabilize the EU</li><li>Edward Snowden, along with other anti-globalization groups, also support Catalonia's independence</li></ul>WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has seized on a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spain-catalonia-independence-vote-preview-2017-9">historic independence referendum set for Sunday</a> in the Spanish region of Catalonia, using his Twitter account to pump out a pro-separatist narrative aimed at villainizing the Spanish central government and celebrating Catalan nationalism.Assange, for all intents and purposes, has become the independence movement's chief international spokesman. The vast majority of his tweets this month, in many cases written in Spanish and Catalan, have centered around promoting Catalan secessionism and "self-determination" as a bulwark against <a href="https://twitter.com/JulianAssange/status/913822430476500992" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Madrid's "repression."</a>Russian <keyword id="6355005" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="News">news</keyword> agency Sputnik has helped, too - and has taken notice of Assange's tweets.The outlet posted 220 stories about the Catalan independence movement between September 11 and 27, according to The Atlantic Council's <a href="https://medium.com/dfrlab/electionwatch-russia-and-referendums-in-catalonia-192743efcd76" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Digital Forensic Research Lab</a>, most with false or misleading headlines and a clear pro-independence bias. The outlet's headlines gave "more prominence to Assange" than either Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont or Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. "Catalan" was the third highest-trending hashtag among Twitter accounts linked to Russian influence operations as of this article's publication, <a href="http://dashboard.securingdemocracy.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to Hamilton 68</a>, a digital platform that aims to track Russian propaganda in real time.It is unclear how many of those users are bots. But a swarm of these automated accounts has also been promoting and parroting Assange's accusations of misconduct and oppression by the Spanish central government. "A significant part of the early amplification" of Assange's <a href="https://twitter.com/JulianAssange/status/908733891137146882" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">most popular tweet</a> about Catalonia came from automated accounts, The Atlantic Council reported. The pattern has extended to his other Catalonia-related tweets, including one where he compared events in Catalonia with those on Tiananmen Square in Beijing and another where he referred to Madrid as a "banana monarchy."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Juan Medina/ReutersStudents attend a demonstration in favor of the banned October 1 independence referendum in Barcelona, Spain September 28, 2017.</div></div></div>The narrative Assange has been peddling is not, at its core, too far off-base: Madrid has declared the referendum illegal, and federal police raided a dozen Catalan regional government offices last week - and arrested fourteen regional officials - in an attempt to stall the vote. And while Catalan voters have never approved secession in past referendums, Madrid's crackdown may make them think twice. But Assange's exaggerated characterizations of Madrid as a "banana monarchy" and the referendum itself as a "war" between "an occupying power" and "a liberation struggle" have created the kind of hysteria and division that risks fracturing not only Spain but the entire European Union - and that Russia, watching from a distance, thrives on."The fate of president Rajoy, PP (Spain's ruling party), Spain's security services and judiciary hangs in the balance over Catalonia," <a href="https://twitter.com/JulianAssange/status/913817216134639616" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Assange tweeted on Friday.</a> "A shock wave is coming and no trick is too dirty, no lie is too bold and no escalation is too much for a deep state to save itself. Watch."National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden has also rallied to the cause, framing Catalonia's independence movement as a human rights struggle. He tweeted a link last week to an op-ed written by the leader of Catalonia's separatist movement, writing that "the Spanish crackdown on inconvenient speech, <keyword id="6358883" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Politics">politics</keyword>, and assembly in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catalonia?src=hash" data-query-source="hashtag_click"><s>#</s>Catalonia</a> is a violation of human rights." <a href="https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/910441574294867968" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wikileaks</a>, too, has been weaponized: Its Twitter account, which many believe to be operated by Assange, alleged last week that Madrid was trying to "crush" the October 1 vote. <h2>A convenient propaganda tool</h2>Mark Kramer, the program director of the Project on Cold War Studies at Harvard's Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, said that WikiLeaks has become "a convenient propaganda tool for the Russian government" in its effort to wreak havoc among NATO states and the European Union."Julian Assange founded Wikileaks because of his virulent hostility toward the United States and other Western democracies, and he has increasingly converted himself into a Kremlin stooge to help undermine NATO and the EU," Kramer said. "He and the Russian authorities share a deep animosity toward the democratic capitalist West, and Assange has become a reliable mouthpiece for Kremlin propaganda and disinformation."On Friday, Assange appeared to echo a Sputnik report published that morning that said Spain had closed the airspace over Catalonia to prevent small aircraft from taking photos of the referendum turnout.The government did decide to restrict the airspace over the region in preparation for Sunday's vote, but not for the reasons Assange or Sputnik would have their readers believe. Restricting low-flying aircraft from hovering over large crowds has long been standard procedure in Spain, which has implemented the rules ahead of large sporting events in the past.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomson ReutersCatalonia's regional President Carles Puigdemont and former regional President Artur Mas salute the crowd in Barcelona</div></div></div>Spanish newspaper El Pais <a href="https://elpais.com/elpais/2017/09/26/inenglish/1506413477_994601.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported on Thursday</a> that the Kremlin was "using <a href="https://elpais.com/agr/catalan_bid_for_independence/a">the Catalan crisis</a> as a way to deepen divisions within Europe and consolidate its international influence...in the form of websites that publish hoax stories, the activity of activists such as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and a legion of bots - millions of automated social media accounts that can turn lies into trending topics."<h2>Murky links </h2>The link between Assange, WikiLeaks, and Russia has always been murky. The US intelligence community believes the three worked together to undermine Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election, while Assange has staunchly denied that Russia was its source for hacked Democratic National Committee emails. But as journalist and Russia researcher Casey Michel <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/assange-catalonia-independence-0a83cd016972/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">noted this week</a>, the Kremlin has not exactly been an unbiased observer of Spain's recent political turmoil."Catalonian independence advocates are among those who've <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/20/russia-funds-moscow-conference-us-eu-ukraine-separatists">flown to Moscow</a> to meet with a group that, as of 2016, received Kremlin funding to help network Western separatist groups," Michel noted. "This group, the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia, <a href="http://anti-global.ru/?p=19373">issued a statement</a> last week supporting the secession push, comparing Catalonia to Crimea - the latter of which continues to be widely regarded in the international community as a constituent part of Ukraine."The Anti-Globalization Movement, which partnered with California separatist group Yes California late last year, aims to promote "traditional moral values" and "supports countries and peoples who are ... seeking an alternative agenda" to the "<a href="http://anti-global.ru/?page_id=160&amp;lang=en">monopolization of the world system</a> of relations and governance" by the United States, according to its website. The movement's first Dialogue of Nations conference, held in Moscow in 2015, was attended by separatist leaders from Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the Uhuru black nationalist movement. Its second conference, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/26/world/europe/russia-kremlin-opposition-groups.html?_r=0">partially funded</a> by a Kremlin grant <a href="http://thediplomat.com/2016/07/us-and-eu-separatist-groups-to-gather-on-moscows-dime/">of $54,000</a>, brought together "representatives of national liberation movements from all over the world."Kramer, of Harvard, said that Russia's support for western secessionist movements has little if anything to do with "wanting to uphold the principle of sovereignty." He noted that Russia has been very selective about which separatist movements it wants to back and which it wants to suppress, pointing to Moscow's stronghold on Chechnya and refusal to recognize Kosovo as an independent country while backing separatist forces in Georgia and forcibly annexing Crimea from Ukraine. In Europe, Kramer added, Moscow supported the Scottish National Party's bid for independence as part of its "vigorous campaign to sow turmoil and division within NATO and the EU...now the Russian authorities are doing the same thing with the Catalan independence referendum." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-nfl-league-usfl-sued-tweet-three-dollars-2017-9">Trump once won a lawsuit against the NFL - but the result was an embarrassment</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Julian Assange is rallying behind Catalan separatists - and Russia has taken notice

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"></div><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2028163448/equiso-smart-tv-turn-any-tv-into-a-smart-tv">Kickstarter</a></div>Yesterday we reported on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/equiso-kickstarter-problems-2013-3">the curious situation with a company called Equiso</a>.
The company sells the "Smart TV," an Android-powered HDMI "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-a-dongle-2013-3">dongle</a>" which promises to turn every television into a smart, web-connected device. We wrote that the company faces "legions of unhappy customers, alleged threats from hacking group Anonymous, and a forgotten co-founder who claims to have been unfairly ousted. It's also being accused of selling a product that is just a rebranded version of something available from a Chinese company."
Equiso CEO Adam McBride issued us this statement in response to the story.
Thank you for your interest in Equiso and the opportunity to set the record straight.
Equiso continues to live the <keyword id="842662" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kickstarter">Kickstarter</keyword> dream and is a glowing Kickstarter success story. In just a few months, we have received over $1.8 million in private investor funding, and our new and improved Equiso SmartTV Stick will in fact be in Walmart stores this Spring. We are thrilled to have come so far, so fast, and are eternally grateful to our wonderful Kickstarter backers who made this all possible. As a matter of fact, we have shipped over 5,700 units of the original beta’s with less than a 2% return rate and very few dissatisfied users. Of course any tech startup will have a few initial bugs, but we are dedicating significant resources to our ongoing tech and customer support. We were on a limited budget and skeleton crew in the early going, but have rapidly scaled up and our user experience and satisfaction is our #1 priority.
Equiso is planning a special Backer Appreciation announcement, stay tuned for that as well as our official Walmart launch press release which we will share with Business Insider first as soon as it is finalized.
While elements of the Kickstarter beta Equiso stick certainly contained components manufactured in China, Equiso is designed in the USA and our upgraded and improved retail product is unique. We look forward to your review of our new and improved retail item with its cool new design and upgraded specs. We also have multiple patent applications pending as we continue to innovate.
Our focus is not on negative allegations made by hackers, trolls, disgruntled former employees or criminals; that is for law enforcement and forum administrators to deal with. Our mission is to deliver value, innovation and service to our exploding customer base.
The demand for our product is staggering and we look forward to sharing more of our successes with you as they unfold.

EQUISO RESPONDS: 'Demand For Our Product Is Staggering'

<table class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge" width="200"><tr><td><div class="image"><a title_source="Kickstarter" title_caption="Equiso CEO Adam McBride." class="zoomin" href="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/500592566bb3f79f5d000000-960/screen shot 2012-07-17 at 12.20.10 pm.jpg"></a></div><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2028163448/equiso-smart-tv-turn-any-tv-into-a-smart-tv">Kickstarter</a>Equiso CEO Adam McBride.</td></tr></table>UPDATE 3/28 10:17 AM: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/equiso-kickstarter-problems-response-2013-3">Equiso has issued the following statement in response to this story.</a>
PREVIOUSLY:
In July 2012, Equiso was living the <keyword id="842662" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kickstarter">Kickstarter</keyword> dream. Now it's in a Kickstarter nightmare.
It has legions of unhappy customers, alleged threats from hacking group Anonymous, and a forgotten co-founder who claims to have been unfairly ousted.
It's also being accused of selling a product that is just a rebranded version of something available from a Chinese company.
Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform that lets people raise money over the internet to pursue creative projects. Equiso leveraged the service last year to raise <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2028163448/equiso-smart-tv-turn-any-tv-into-a-smart-tv">$241,557 from 2,703 people</a> to bring its product to market. The company was pitching an Android-powered HDMI "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-a-dongle-2013-3">dongle</a>" called the Smart TV, which promised to turn every television into a smart, web-connected device. Users would simply plug the dongle into their TV, enabling them to run apps like Netflix and Angry Birds on their television screens. The attachment essentially turned a TV into a giant Android tablet.
The device shipped late and didn't perform especially well. When <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/equiso-smart-tv-review-2012-10">we reviewed it in October</a>, we discouraged people from buying it. Apps lagged beyond the point of usability.
We weren't the only ones disappointed by Equiso's Smart TV.
Customers took to Equiso's <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2028163448/equiso-smart-tv-turn-any-tv-into-a-smart-tv/comments">Kickstarter comments page</a>, the Equiso <a href="http://www.equisoforum.com/">forum</a>, and even a Facebook page called "<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Do-Not-Buy-From-Equiso/580828418611546">Do Not Buy From Equiso</a>" to complain.
People who got their Smart TV <a href="http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=434656553275504&amp;id=580828418611546">complained of</a> "a product that barely functions, completely fails to meet the promises of its creators, and in all likelihood, never will." They also weren't happy that Equiso wasn't responding to complaints: "Emails are ignored, Facebook posts and tweets are deleted. If you happen to live in Boston and visited the Equiso office, I suspect you might see a tumbleweed."
To this day there are users complaining of never having received their product. Lots of Kickstarter backers are upset. 
All this complaining appears to have <a href="http://anonnews.org/press/item/2214/">gotten the attention of the infamous hacking group Anonymous</a>.
On the site where it posts its releases, AnonNews, <a href="http://anonnews.org/press/item/2214/">Anonymous is demanding that</a> Equiso CEO Adam McBride publicly apologize and refund "$241,000 to Kickstarter backers and $2,000,000+ to investors" within one week or it will begin leaking his personal details, such as "bank accounts, credit information, passwords, emails, and social media."
After that, Anonymous says it will do the same for other Equiso employees and will even attack its partners.
It's important to note that Anonymous is an amorphous group without any known structure or organization. These threats could be coming from any number of people who may or may not have the means to follow through with them. The group has previously hacked high-profile targets like the Westboro Baptist Church, Sarah Palin, and Citi. While it seems odd that it would turn its attention to a small company, it's not impossible.
McBride, however, believes the threats do not come from Anonymous at all.
Strained relations between co-founders 
McBride believes that a former employee posted all the threats to AnonNews. He says she is "a crazy employee who had gone rogue" after McBride fired her upon finding out that she had lied about previous work experience.
We reached out to this employee who requested to not be identified. She told us she wasn't just a former employee, but a co-founder, and that McBride recruited her via email through a mutual acquaintance. She says no resumes were ever involved and she never misrepresented any past professional experiences.
She says the trouble began when she started working from home due to disagreements with McBride, and soon found herself locked out of the company's email and computer systems.
She claims no connections to Anonymous and still maintains a 30 percent equity stake in Equiso, emphasizing that it would be against her interest to hurt the company while owning so much of it.
We returned to McBride with this information, who maintained that the co-founder didn't leave voluntarily and was, in fact, fired. It wasn't for lying about any specific job experience, but instead for misrepresenting connections to media partners like Hulu and for lying about having access to money to invest in the company.
Is Equiso just a rebranded gadget from China?
<a href="http://anonnews.org/press/item/2214/">Another one of the accusations from hacking group Anonymous</a> is that Equiso's Smart TV is little more than a rebranded product from UPTEK, a Shenzhen, China <a href="http://www.uptek.com.cn/product_en.html">company that makes its own "smart TV" dongle</a>. Tech-savvy users in the Equiso forum have confirmed <a href="http://www.equisoforum.com/Thread-Manufacturer-of-Equiso-Stick-and-Remote">the devices are one and the same</a>.
We asked McBride about his company's relationship with UPTEK and he told us that it was a partnership. But there's no mention of this in his Kickstarter video and no acknowledgment that he was getting the dongle from China and tweaking it.
His estranged co-founder/employee tells us that instead of working on improving the product, McBride would "spend hours looking at packaging design." 
Is Walmart a partner or not?
There's another weird wrinkle in this story. Equiso partner Jeffry Waye told us via email that "the Equiso will be in Walmart stores nationwide starting April 10."
Another Equiso partner, Ralph Teed, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ralph-teed/6/310/133">claims "over ten years experience with Wal-Mart Inc." on his LinkedIn page</a>, so the retail giant seems an obvious route for selling more devices. When we spoke to Teed on the phone, he told us that <a href="http://www.dpgdistribution.com/index.php">Equiso distribution partner DPG</a> had already received a purchase order from Walmart and had sent a purchase order of its own to Equiso.
We emailed Kevin O'Connor, vice president and general merchandise manager for consumer electronics at Walmart, to ask about the company's relationship with Equiso and DPG (which has an Equiso logo <a href="http://www.dpgdistribution.com/index.php">on its homepage</a>). O'Connor told us, "We have not heard of Equiso and they are not a supplier to us. If this is the brand or manufacturer, then we do not know them and would not be selling their product. Maybe on walmart.com. I don’t know DPG either."
We also reached out to Walmart's PR in case O'Connor was mistaken. We spoke over the phone yesterday morning to a Walmart spokesperson named Debbie who said she'd look into it and get back to us. We made several attempts to get back in touch throughout the day and this morning, but still haven't heard from her.
McBride tells us via email that the Walmart deal is "not official yet."
UPDATE 3/27 11:14 AM: A Walmart spokesperson confirmed for us that the Equiso Smart TV will be in stores "this spring." No specific date was given.
What went wrong?
Equiso's problems seem to stem from its upset customers. The overwhelming complaint is that Equiso has not been communicative enough with its Kickstarter backers. At the time of this writing, <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2028163448/equiso-smart-tv-turn-any-tv-into-a-smart-tv/posts/387803">its last customer communication</a> went out on January 17.
We asked McBride about this lack of communication and he explained that he and his team are busy improving the product. He added that the company did most of its customer communication one-on-one via the comments section of Kickstarter, <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/profile/2028163448/comments">leaving 571 comments to date</a>.
<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper-watch-for-iphone-and-android/posts">Consider the Pebble smartwatch</a>, by contrast. It was a similarly hyped and over-funded Kickstarter project that met similar difficulties in delivering on time. Instead of maintaining radio silence in order to ship at maximum efficiency, the Pebble team nearly over-communicated. Backers received more regular notifications, each one offering substantial updates on the company's progress. The Pebble team even created a dedicated website to give anyone an update at a glance – <a href="http://www.ispebbleshipping.com/">IsPebbleShipping.com</a>.
The lesson in this for Kickstarter backers is to be patient and understanding. This seems especially true with gadget-based projects. Manufacturers often run into delays and other unforeseen problems. When you "vote" in favor of a creator's idea on Kickstarter, you are not actually buying a product like you would from an ecommerce site. You're funding a project and, for better or worse, you're along for the ride. 
And for a Kickstarter project leader, the takeaway seems to be to make sure your backers know what's going on. This is especially true for high-profile projects. Pebble handled its difficulties well. It's a model that Equiso would do well to follow.

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