Hacking off the Feds: Anonymous intercepts FBI conference call about…themselves (AUDIO)

In an audio recording made and posted online by the internet hacktivists Anonymous, a number of Federal agents both in the US and the UK can be heard discussing ways to apprehend members of the group.

In an ironic post, the hacktivists made the 20-minute long conversation available online, taunting the Federal Bureau of Investigations with the leak – and the fact that while the agents may only have half-formed plans to arrest Anonymous members, the group itself is making sure to stay one step ahead.

After a rather odd discussion on whether there really is a McDonalds in the Pentagon – and gleeful confirmation of the existence of one in Sheffield – the agents get down to the point of their conference: whether dual interviews with suspects are possible, the delayed arrests of several teenagers suspected of being hackers, and unnamed “operational matters.”

But the most intriguing part of the conference comes after a US agent thanks his UK counterparts for their help. “We are here to help,” came the reply. “We know we’ve cocked up in the past.”

Unfortunately for those with Kipling’s mongoose syndrome of wanting to know all, the London field office does not elaborate on how exactly it has cocked up in the past – or whether the comment was related solely to the Bureau’s battle with hacker groups like Anonymous, LulzSec, Antisec and others.

The FBI has already reacted, saying the leaked recording was confidential,and that the information revealed “was intended for law enforcement officers only and was illegally obtained.'' The Bureau also added in its statement that it is “hunting those responsible”.

For the moment, however, the score is clearly in Anonymous’ favor as they continue to catch the FBI agents off guard with their weekly #FFF – or FuckFBIFriday – leaks. The Twitter hashtag, popular among the group and its followers, usually sees some sort of sensitive or secret information leaked every week. This Friday, however, Anonymous dropped a double bombshell, releasing not only the recorded conference call, but also emails related to the case of Sgt Frank Wuterich, the US Marine that admitted to killing civilians in Iraq and walked away scot free.