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: 
Maybe you should read [this PDF](http://cryptome.org/0003/anonymous-barr.pdf). They are not so anonymous. The LOIC tool used for DDOS, leaks the original IP of the person using it. You can use the browser (JavaScript) version of the same tool, maybe hiding behind Tor.

HBGary Federal exposed their names and addresses in that PDF. That is why they attacked his site, email, wipe his iPad, took over his twitter etc....
Search the #hbgary hashtag on twitter for more info on that.
**Hackers can be caught, Anonymous cannot.** Anonymous is such a lose collective that it is not materially hurt by law enforcement striking out at its individual hackers. However, it does respond violently against any organization that attempts to do so. This means

* Its very hard to strike down Anonymous just by catching its members.
* Anonymous will make life hard on anyone who tries.

All Anonymous has to do is continue to be "not worth the effort" to go after its members en masse and it will continue to be free. However, they play a dangerous game. If the public ever decides they are a sufficient nuisance, then it will suddenly be worth the cost to track down and catch its members, enduring the counter-hacks by Anonymous as they go.