A new video posted on YouTube claims that the hacktivist group Anonymous is planning to take down Facebook on January 28 as part of what they are calling Operation Global Blackout Part 2. The voice in the video claims responsibility for the recent attacks on CBS, Warner Brothers and the FBI, although as with previous claims to crash Facebook servers, it can be tough to determine if this is a real Anonymous threat or simply another copy-cat with no links to the loose-knit organization.
CNET points out that the YouTube account associated with this latest video appears to have some legit connections with Anonymous as there are more than one of the group's videos posted on the channel.
In the video, viewers are encouraged to be a part of the first official cyber war and help bring Facebook down. It's unclear why Facebook is being targeted specifically - perhaps they want to show what could happen to sites like Facebook if SOPA were to be passed - but nevertheless, the group is recruiting users to download a program called Low Orbit Ion Cannon.
LOIC is an open source network stress testing and denial-of-service attack application. The voice further goes on to explain how to use the app to attack Facebook but points out that if done randomly, it won't work as Facebook has over 60,000 servers worldwide. As such, Anonymous is calling for a massive group attack at 12am on January 28. Users are encouraged to not be afraid of getting caught as "they" cannot take down such a large group of participants.
The fate of the Internet, according to Anonymous, rests in your hands.