A self-described Anonymous hacking group affiliated hacker launched a chat service that is hosted on the dark web which is aimed at teaching the next generation of wannabe cyber hacktivists about technological knowledge in things involving coding, encryption, and even technological history.
The chat service is only accessible via the Tor Browser, enabling users to stay anonymous while it accesses a “hidden” part of the Internet, the Internet relay chat (IRC) service which has been dubbed the OnionIRC, and is now open, making it possible for anyone who wants to chat and talk with some of the members of the infamous Anonymous hacking group.
In one group which was posted online, the group put out the objectives of the chatroom. The computerized voice which is typically heard in video messages from Anonymous said, “The OnionIRC is designed to allow for full anonymity and we welcome all to use it as a hub for all Anonymous operations, general free speech or any project or group concerned about privacy and looking to build a strong community.”
The video goes on to say, “We also intend to strengthen our ranks and arm the current and coming generations of internet activists with education. Our plan is to provide classrooms where, on a scheduled basis, ‘teachers’ can give lessons on any number of subjects. This includes but is not limited to security culture, various hacking tutorials, history lessons and promoting how to properly utilize encryption and anonymity software.”
Reporters who anonymously logged into the group chat found out that, people were logged in talking about topics such as the GPG encryption, NSA surveillance and governed insistence in putting backdoors on software.
HackRead, which first reported the presence of the chatroom says that the IRC was dysfunctional at times. According to the report, some of the contributors in the chatroom seemed to lack any tech knowledge. One scenario is when one anon contributor wrote, “I want to learn Bash. Beginner level. Where do I start?” The reply was, “With a Bash Book.” The group at the moment is a far cry from the once feared group which used to terrorize federal agencies and assist in global uprisings through hackings.
The administrator of the IRC who works under a pseudonym is said to have attempted to create order amidst all this chaos. “I wouldn’t expect there to be any planned lessons taught for a bit here. Things are just starting off and we want to see how things go for a bit, hopefully, build a bit of a user base, and then we’ll kick it off with some awesome in-house presentations,” he said in the chat.