Anonymous Aims To Annihilate ISIS in Cyber War

In the aftermath of the Paris Terrorist Attacks, there is a new target on ISIS: A Declaration of Cyber War. The hacker activist group, Anonymous is using social media to retaliate against ISIS for their reign of terror in the city of light.

In a new YouTube video Anonymous vowed to take out ISIL: “We are tracking down members of the terrorist group responsible for these attacks we will not give up we will not forgive and we’ll do all that is necessary to end their actions.”

Anonymous ‘hacktivist’ known as “Vex” joined the hacker group about 5 years ago. After watching news reports of the terror attacks in Paris he decided to be part of the mission to stop the spread of ISIS propaganda. “I got on the internet relay chat room as soon as possible. I was trying to figure out what we can do to help,” said Vex, Anonymous #OpParis. The 19-year-old says he already removed more than 20 terrorist affiliated sites and that number is growing. Since the Paris attacks Anonymous claims to have destroyed more than 20,000 ISIS accounts by removing and defacing them. “If the site has vulnerabilities in it you can deface it which is basically tearing it apart from the inside,” said Vex, Anonymous #OpParis. Former Anonymous member Deric Lostutter tracked down “Vex” in an internet relay chat room or IRC. There they discussed the efforts by Anonymous and its members like Vex, which Lostutter says are instrumental in the war on terror. “We give people ways to communicate and rise up the same way the American government funds rebels, we fund them with internet connections, communication methods and that’s the biggest weapon of all,” said Deric Lostutter, former ‘KYAnonymous.’ Lostutter revealed his identity after exposing the 2012 Steubenville Ohio rape cover-up with Anonymous. The case gained national attention and Lostutter was later raided by the FBI and is currently being investigated. He says law enforcement officials should recognize Anonymous as an ally not a threat.

“I think if law enforcement chose to work with anonymous then the world might be a safer, better place,” said Lostutter. While helping deter future recruits is essential to combatting ISIS, Vex says more needs to be done to break down the terror network’s funding.

“If we could go after all their money that would definitely be a big win for anonymous, the US, France and whoever else is being terrorized by ISIS,” said Vex. The operation to defund ISIS is in the early stages, Vex says he is now shifting his focus to internet chatter to prevent the next ISIS terror attack.

"I want to analyze their sites because I do feel saving a life is more important than taking down these sites currently.” In recent days, ISIS has vowed retaliation but Anonymous says it is not intimidated.   “Anonymous is a huge group you can’t just take us out I mean the FBI, CIA has been trying to do it for a while and because we have no leadership it’s really hard to take us down I don’t think it will happen,” said Vex, Anonymous #OpParis. FOXBusiness.com requested comment from the FBI and the CIA which were not returned at the time of publication.

*Late Wednesday the FBI responded with no comment.