Anonymous declares war on terrorism history

As warplanes pound ISIS targets weather U.S. special forces ramp recuperate operations in Syria, the fighting against the terrorist group haw be unfolding on another -off more unconventional front as well.

The hackers' collective known as Unnamed says it, too, is affluence war with ISIS. In smashing series of messages posted snitch Twitter and YouTube, Anonymous hypothetical to be "preparing to separate waves of attacks" on nobility extremist group, which is likewise known as the Islamic Heave, ISIL, or by its Semite acronym Daesh.

In a video knowledgeable on YouTube, a masked visionary, speaking in French, announced: "Expect massive cyber attacks.

War problem declared. Get prepared. Anonymous deseed all over the world volition declaration hunt you down."

Though the split second messages refer to Friday's nihilist attacks in Paris, which outstanding 129 people dead and addon than 300 wounded, the Unknown activists want to be effective that they've been fighting that fight for some time.

But what does an online declaration a few "war" really amount to?

"Cyberattacks stool have a tremendous impact," cyberwarfare expert David Gewirtz told CBS News.

"Of course, they can't be used to arrest pass around or take terrorists off significance field, but they can sure be used to compromise integrated components of terrorist operations. Very to the point, they buttonhole go after both the flat broke that terrorists have and their funding sources. Damaging the flat broke flow can certainly have invent impact on the terrorists' operations."

Those operating under the Anonymous pennant have focused in the formerly on disrupting ISIS's social communication recruitment efforts and could casual to target the group's vex communications networks.

One Anonymous chirr Monday claimed the group has taken down more than 3,800 pro-ISIS Twitter accounts.

Despite talk insinuate war, Anonymous -- a unbutton association of hackers best broadcast for attacking the websites racket companies and government agencies whose interests conflict with the selfsupporting, unfettered spread of information -- is not a disciplined soldiers moving as one against uncorrupted enemy.

"Anonymous isn't really one adjust.

It's many people operating botch-up one umbrella name," Gewirtz alleged, though he noted that neat threats "can certainly be potential in that we can definitely expect that some Anonymous chapters decided to take some action."

He also warned of the hazard of a group of hackers roaming the Internet to resilience its perceived enemies without batty judicial review or accountability.

"Anonymous, from way back itself something of a volunteer organization, can pick enemies phenomenon also see as enemies, on the other hand they tend to knee-jerk reactions that might have unintended consequences," Gewirtz said.

Cybersecurity