Agency warns of attacks on government websites

UK government websites have been warned to brace themselves for website attacks in the wake of the arrest of five Britons as part of an investigation into a hacking group named Anonymous, reports The Register. Members of the loosely knit collective condemned the arrests, arguing that denial of services attacks are a legitimate protest tactic, comparable with staging a sit-in or picketing. In a statement , the group criticised the police operation as disproportionate, describing it as "a serious declaration of war from yourself, the UK government, to us, Anonymous, the people". GovCertUK has taken the implied threat seriously, issuing an advisory notice urging government websites to prepare defences against possible attack. It urges website managers to be vigilant against signs of denial of service activity, and to notify GovCertUK if any occurs. Scotland Yard has issued a statement warning that those tempted to download attack software in order to participate in further DDoS attacks also risk arrest.