Anonymous hacks PayPal & Symantec, begins November 5 hacking spree

As it becomes the 5th of November around the world, Anonymous announced a hacking spree that has claimed many websites and a few databases - plus a planned V For Vendetta reenactment at the Houses of Parliament.

The press arm for Anonymous has announced that it has begun its hacking spree for the 5th of November - Guy Fawkes Day.

Claims are circulating that hackers - some affilaited with Anonymous, and some not - have dumped user and employee account information on accounts from PayPal, Symantec, the defacement of Saturday Night Live's website, Australian government websites and much more.

CLARIFICATION: Claim for Symantec goes to @Doxbin, and they have stated that "HTP is not affiliated with Anonymous."

Monday's main focus seems to be an anti-suveillance protest - like with the recent Anonymous October 20 protest - with November 5th intent aimed at surveillance systems such as TrapWire and INDECT.

Trapwire and INDECT's opponents believe that the surveillance systems to be direct threats to privacy and certain civil freedoms and that their implementation could constitute human rights violations.

According to the various Anonymous Twitter accounts announcing the hacks and linking to document dumps, this is just the beginning of doc dumps and defacements for its day of protest. News of the protest is being shared on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Pastebin.

Australian Government qla.org.au Hacked by Anonymous for Nov 5th— Anonymous Australia (@AuAnon) November 5, 2012

The hacktivists have also included in its Nov. 5th announcements tonight the hacking and defacement of Australian government sites, ImageShack and PayPal (claiming a zero day exploit), Ascension Australia, NBC.com and Lady Gaga's fan site (claimed for the spree by "Pyknic"), Saturday Night Live's website, the Jimmy Fallon and Jay Leno portals, Australian steel and mining company Arcelor Mittal, homewares website GiftNow, the Greek City website, the Ghana Consulate website, and claim to have leaked VMware ESX Server Kernel source code via twitter today.

UPDATE Nov. 4 10:20 PST: Anonymous has claimed a document dump on The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) "the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization."

Anonymous Australia seems to be the most active at this time.

At the same time, the press arm for Anonymous has announced - via a press release on Pastebin - that it is rallying the public for an in-person V For Vendetta protest at The Houses of Parliament, at 8PM in London.

Protesters in Canada will get a rude surprise if they don Guy Fawkes masks - because last week Canada's House of Commons approved a bill that bans people from hiding their faces during riots.

We're watching and following the developments as they happen.

And right now they're happening fast - and furiously.

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