New kind of cyber activism

An article in Culture Mandala, Vol. 8, No. 1, October 2008, pp.28-80, titled "HOW CHINA WILL USE CYBER WARFARE TO LEAPFROG IN MILITARY COMPETITIVENESS". Although it's only an article published by Bond University of Australia, it's a serious article with quality research and references. Chanology, the campaign against the Cult of Scientology, truly deserves it's place along side other historical cyber attack incidents. It's more than that. The reaction of tourists in Hollywood, captured in Youtube videos, said it all. They can't wait to take sovenior pictures with masked anonymous protestors. Some can't believe their luck that they ran into a global protest, their face like seeing the Great Wall or Niagara Falls for the first time.

Case Studies: Estonia, Georgia and Chanology
The 2007 cyber attacks against Estonia, Georgia and Project Chanology are examples of large-scale cyber attacks. The Estonian attacks were the first to show how cyber attack against a state provides a debilitating effect at a low cost, a lack of attribution, a lack of legal framework in defence, world-wide attention, and may point to a new arm of traditional attack. The Russo-Georgian war of August 2008 was even more sophisticated and intense than the Estonian case, showing the maturation of the process. Project Chanology reveals how the collective masses can use online tools to emerge as a powerful force without a central leadership. This can be harnessed by military power through the tactics described in IO (Information Operations, see above). And as a matter of internal security, Chanology style movements must be carefully observed as they pose a non-traditional threat. Estonia and Chanology are an emerging expression of warfare that is fuelled by new powers afforded by the internet, but spills over into the real world, not only through financial loss and media
coverage (soft power), but also in the form of volatile protests, disruption, mob mentality, and the capability of drawing governments and militaries into unwanted actions.

Chanology won't go away, but we need help. Unlike other activism, we need brave souls that are willing and afford to take risks, even though we are existing our constitutional rights, our activities are totally legal and we cooperate with law enforcement fully. Politicians turn a blind eye for years, investigating journalists have been silenced by lawsuits long ago, the justice systems can't stop lawfare and became part of it, the police and FBI can't do anything about threatening behaviors and lies. Who can we call upon?