Anonymous Targets Biotech Giant Monsanto with Database Raid

The Anonymous collective has staged an indirect attack on the Monsanto corporation by publishing material related to the agricultural biotech company's database on Pastehtml.

In December 2011, Anonymous targeted the Bivings Group, which handles PR for Monsanto, following a previous assault on the corporation.

The hacktivists initially attacked Monsanto in July 2011 over the company filing lawsuits against a number of organic dairy farmers, who had labelled their products as not containing growth hormones, which the corporation used to manufacture.

On that occasion, Anonymous released the contact details of 2,500 Monsanto employees.

The new attack was announced by YourAnonNews, who tweeted: "HACKED: Monsanto pwnt once more by #Anonymous - Old DB lifted and leaked | http://pastehtml.com/view/bpvygosbp.html."

The collective published a statement on Pastehtml, accompanied by rapper B Dolan performing a song that draws on fellow rapper Jay-Z's Lucifer, along with the contents of a long list of email messages hacked earlier from the Bivings Group.

"Your continued attack on the world's food supply, as well as the health of those who eat it, has earned you our full attention," the statement said. "Your crimes against humanity are too numerous to name on a single page, you have put over 9,000 small-time farmers out of business by using your huge legal team to bury them with your malicious patent lawsuits

"We are aware that posting this outdated database will do little to harm you," the statement added. "Rest assured, we will continue to dox [reveal private information on] your employees and executives, continue to knock down your websites, continue to fry your mail servers, continue to be in your systems and continue to expose your bullsh*t."

The campaign is credited as part of the collective's ongoing AntiSec campaign with the allied hacking group LulzSec. The joint operation was launched in mid-August, when the two groups of hacktivists declared "war" on the world's banks and governments to protest against the government's censorship and monitoring of the internet.

The operation has seen Anonymous target numerous law enforcement agencies including the Italian police, the FBI, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and even Nato.

Monsanto was one of the company's listed as providing the US government with the herbicide Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. It also makes genetically-engineered seeds and pesticides.