Compliance Management, Government Regulations, Network Security, Threat Management

Anonymous mounts anti-government campaign in Québec

The hacktivist group Anonymous has posted the personal information of Canadians online as part of a protest over the treatment of student protesters in Montréal. The group stole the information of fans who bought tickets to the forthcoming Formula One race in the city.

Anonymous, which had posted a video warning people not to support the race, hacked the ticket website and then revealed customer details online – including names, phone numbers, email addresses and the amount customers had spent on tickets.

The action is part of a protest mounted by Anonymous against Bill 78. Passed on May 18, the emergency legislation restricts freedom of assembly and picketing near university grounds without prior police approval. It also restricts education employees' right to strike. Introduced by Education Minister Michelle Courchesne, it was a reaction to widespread student protests in the city over proposed tuition fees.

The hack is the latest in a series of actions against the Québec government by Anonymous. According to Christopher Doyon, a known organiser for Anonymous, up to 500 individuals participated in denial-of-service attacks on 13 Québec government websites. Sites taken down last month included the Québec Public Safety Ministry, the Police Ethics Commission, and the Liberal Party of Québec.

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