Three computer hackers allegedly involved in hacking into the Colombian government’s computer systems and suspected of belonging to internet cyber attack group “Anonymous” have been arrested in Spain, Associated Press reported Friday.
The three Spaniards, all aged between 30 and 32, are apparently the leaders of the Spanish section of the loosely-affiliated “international hacktivism” group who coordinate cyber attacks, primarily in the name of free internet usage and freedom of information.
“Anonymous is a network with a common idea, but it has loads of cells around the world. Using chats they agree to stage denial-of-service attacks on any page of any company or organization anywhere in the world,” said the chief of Spanish police’s high-tech unit.
One of the arrested men’s computer servers has been linked to the involvement in several cyber attacks, of which the Colombian government was one of the victims. All three have been released without bail but will have to answer to the charge of disrupting a computer system, recently introduced into Spanish law.
Although full details of the effect these attacks had are unknown, the other victims were two major Spanish banks, and Italian energy company and several other national governments including Egypt, Iran, Libya and New Zealand.