Question: I'm not security literate, and if I was, I probably wouldn't be asking this question. As a regular tech news follower, I'm really surprised by the [outrage](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_%28group%29#Activities) of [Anonymous (hacker group)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_%28group%29), but as a critical thinker, I'm unable to control my curiosity to dig out how exactly they are doing this? Frankly, this group really scares me.

One thing that I don't understand is how they haven't been caught yet. Their IP addresses should be traceable when they DDOS, even if they spoof it or go through a proxy.

* The server with which they are spoofing should have recorded the IPs of these guys in its logs. If the govt. ask the company (which owns the server) don't they give the logs?
* Even if it is a private server owned by these guys, doesn't IANA (or whoever the organization is) have the address & credit card details of the guy who bought & registered the server?
* Even if they don't have that, can't the ISPs trace back to the place these packets originated?

I know, if it was as simple as I said, the government would have caught them already. So how exactly are they able to escape? 

PS: If you feel there are any resources that would enlighten me, I'll be glad to read them.

[Update - this is equally appropriate when referring to the [Lulzsec group](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LulzSec), so have added a quick link to the Wikipedia page on them]

Answer: 
From some experience with law enforcement and forensics, I can say one of the biggest issues is that ISPs really don't want to have to track users. Once they get beyond a certain level of management they lose 'common carrier' status and become liable for an awful lot of what their customers may do.

Also, many countries do not want to pass on information to another country - especially countries which may be opposed to western culture or western interference.

And it is extremely easy to hide almost anything on the internet.

Regarding your three points:

* **Server should have IP addresses** - No - this is simple to spoof or erase
* **Private server** - Not likely, although possible - but it wouldn't
be their credit card used
* **ISP's trace** - Not going to happen - it doesn't affect ISP's negatively, and is way too difficult

**update** It might happen after all - <http://blogs.forbes.com/andygreenberg/2011/03/18/ex-anonymous-hackers-plan-to-out-groups-members/>
There is one thing that hasn't been mentioned yet: the human factor.

These groups do not have a hierarchy as such, instead they form around a set of ideas. Most of the time, the only idea in common is "the governments are wrong, we must do justice by hacking", which is probably a feeling that's only getting stronger, with the current pressure the US gov (itself pressured by corporations) is putting in other countries below the covers to pass draconian laws against free speech that could harm the aforementioned corporations.

So the great appeal here, especially by Anonymous, is that if you have the knowledge and hate the government (who doesn't?), you can join them by yourself and on your own account and risk. 

In order to see where this thinking comes from, I recommend the movie/comic novel "V for Vendetta", from which they took that mask you see so often.

Some groups, of course, have much less heroic intentions. LulzSec was "all for the lulz".

The bottom line is that yes, they might get a few members of each group, but more will show up.