The hacktivist group Anonymous has given an interview with the ABC with regards to its hacking of an Australian ISP. While details are impossible to 100 per cent verify at present, the sources of this interview are verified as being the sources behind the hacking announcements.

After initially saying that it would release the data this morning the group says that it is more likely to appear on Monday but may take "even a month." They "are entirely not sure, There is over 600 tables in the database." [note the interview was conducted over Internet Relay Chat which frequently results in web-shorthand contractions and spelling mistakes. All quotes are left unedited.] The delay stems from the group cleaning potentially-damaging personal details such as credit card numbers from the records.

[Update] The hackers have been in touch again and told us the following: "We decided on something. That instead of releasing the leak as a whole, We will be releasing in parts. Just in case we miss something of importance. The first part should be ready to leak on Saturday."

The hacktivists insist that the reason for the release is to protest against Attorney General Nicola Roxon's proposed increases in government surveillance powers and highlight the fact that these powers would result in ever-increasing amounts of personal details being stored on servers similar to the one that has been hacked.

The group claims to be in the process of releasing some 42GB of data from Australian ISP AAPT with some 3.5GB of it being customer information. The ISP has already admitted that "business customer data" was compromised due to an intrusion with its Melbourne IT hosts.

According to the interview, data includes, "names, agreements, phonerecords, ip records registrations, contracts, company informations, contact persons, company bankaccounts. All the info is there. And there is a lot of it."

One operative made the following statement which is in line with previous Anonymous releases, "Whilst our own rights to privacy dwindle, corporate rights to commercial confidentiality and intellectual property skyrocket. Whilst we no longer know about many of the activities of our governments, our governments have the means to accumulate unprecedented vast banks of data about us"

He goes on to say, "the attacks are a way to draw attention to the msg we wish to deriver to the ppl of au"

Time of activity suggest that the operatives are Australian-based. This was underscored by the following claim, "great show on four corners last week btw about Julian" which is a reference to Julian Assange of Wikileaks who is admired by Anonymous.

The hackers didn't think much of the security they cracked saying, "They did not even secure the ColdFusion login. So ANY one could of accessed, and leaked data."

The interview finishes with a dose of the ominous:

"Will there be more hacks?"

"Yes. Definetely. Much more, A lot more."

The following is the IRC chatroom chatlog between an ABC Producer and the hackers at least one of whom runs the @Op_Australia Twitter account which has been the source of the hack. It is left virtually unedited: chatlogs appear very strange when using correct grammar and spelling while subtle nuances and meanings get lost. Names have been changed at the request of the interviewees.

- Lisa joined Lisa Hello this is Lisa

AnonUser1 Hello Lisa.

Lisa Downey do you think you'll release the redacted data?

Lisa Sorry on bus

AnonUser2 hi

AnonUser1 It's alright. Lisa Question is, when do you think you'll release the redacted data?

AnonUser1 But yeah, You'll be interviewing myself and AnonUser2 AnonUser1 We are entirely not sure, There is over 600 tables in the database. AnonUser1 So it can take from a week, to a month to remove all data.

AnonUser2 yes review will take longer than the release itself Lisa Can you tell me what type of data you have? Names, credit card no?

AnonUser1 I haven't actually went through it yet

AnonUser1 But i'll ask someone who has.

AnonUser2 the data is not so much as important as the reason as to its

release lisa Lisa What do you mean by 'release'?

Lisa Yep I'm following what the security agencies have asked for

AnonUser2 well the operation running atm is in protest of the current

proposed legislation in regards to data retention

AnonUser2 Two key assumptions have dominated recent government security policy. The first is that the threat of terror and international crime

AnonUser2 means that the government's right to know everything about us must outweigh our individual right to privacy. The second is that the rights

AnonUser2 of the government and major corporations to secrecy must outweigh our right to know about their activities AnonUser1 names, agreements, phonerecords, ip records registrations,

contracts, company informations, contact persons, company bankaccounts

AnonUser1 All the info is there. And there is a lot of it.

AnonUser2 Whilst our own rights to privacy dwindle, corporate rights to

commercial confidentiality and intellectual property skyrocket. Whilst we no longer know about many of the activities of our governments, our governments have the means to accumulate unprecedented vast banks of data about us Lisa I was planning a story on Monday.

AnonUser2 we feel an increase in the current data rentention laws not only

treats every Australian as a criminal but also increases the risks we have highlighted this week to our own digital finger prints AnonUser1 Ok Lisa You say this is the start of your protest, right?

AnonUser1 Yes

AnonUser2 yes Lisa Will ere be more hacks?

AnonUser1 Yes

AnonUser1 Definetely

AnonUser1 Much more, A lot more.

AnonUser1 There will also be a lot of DDoS attacks as soon as it goes through.

AnonUser2 we will continue to put the pressure on the au government while our rights are being abused yes Lisa What about the agencies requests for citizen passwords? Are you

tailoring each attack to a specific request by the agencies?

AnonUser1 May even be able to organise some sort of protest, Like we did for #OpIndia and #OpJapan and others.

AnonUser2 yes and the attacks are a way to draw attention to the msg we wish to deriver to the ppl of au Lisa Ok are you talking to other journalists?

AnonUser2 so they will vary depending on the phase of the operation at that time

AnonUser1 Yes, Many others. Lisa Could we do a Skype on Monday?

AnonUser2 skype is unsecure Lisa Or tomorrow?

AnonUser2 we feel we would expose ourselves by the use of skype

Lisa Iok Lisa Ok tell me how easy it was to get this info

AnonUser2 like i said i have heard of them

AnonUser2 when we wer working on operatins in the middle east

Lisa That's them.

AnonUser2 ya same group

Lisa Yep

AnonUser2 great show on four corners last week btw

AnonUser2 about julian

AnonUser1 You would not believe how easy it was to get the info.

Lisa Ta, we work hard.......Ok so let me get some of your quotes out to

news tonight....just about the type of info you have and there will be

more hacks AnonUser1 They did not even secure the ColdFusion login.

AnonUser1 So ANY one could of accessed, and leaked data. AnonUser1 So there's going to be something on the news tonight?

AnonUser2 i would like to point out to if data retention laws r imposed on au isps like the ones proposed a lot more servers like this will be floating around with ppls information on them Lisa If you want that yes, but will be online most likely and News 24.

AnonUser1 Ok, News 24, Is that on Foxtel?

AnonUser2 i pretty much only watch abc/sbs commercial tv annoys me to much

AnonUser2 lol

AnonUser1 I'm on ABC1 watching the 7:30pm show thing AnonUser2 maybe you should cover the data sharing agreements signed last month with nicola roxn

Lisa Love to do that.....

AnonUser1 Sure

AnonUser1 An interview like this is fine. We will be here.

AnonUser2 n how this tied in with the tppa n the US ndda in theory would

allow the US to investigate au citizens without au gov knowledge n then also with the terrorist label being thrown around allow extradition of n au citizen for being a nuisance to the US gov Lisa Ok I'll come find you on twitter again?

Lisa Yes

AnonUser2 n in the meantime make julia apologize for calling julian a

criminal in 2010 with out any evidence being put forward at all AnonUser1 Possibly more hacked sites?

AnonUser1 And the Release of the data should be released by Monday

AnonUser2 we will continue the research n attacks u never know ;) AnonUser2 what time on 24 do u expect Lisa Ok I have to email these quotes through -can you just keep this up

for 20mins? AnonUser2 that is np can keep it open all month if we want

AnonUser1 Damn, News24 is a HD channel.

AnonUser2 can watch it online Lisa Lovely let's do that, you don't have HD it's streamed live online.

AnonUser2 http://www.abc.net.au/news/abcnews24/

AnonUser2 we need to get some one to record it n start making a video

AnonUser2 for the op

AnonUser2 a good one

AnonUser1 Oh, it's online too?

AnonUser1 Awesome. AnonUser2 yup

As with previous Anonymous (and splinter group, Lulzsec) hacks, the actions have split opinion. To some they are akin to criminals who are breaking and entering illegally. However, last year's high profile hacks on the likes of Sony drew public, corporate and government attention to the importance of online security like never before. There is also the point that criminal hackers, who seek to profit from such information, do not announce their hacks to the world.

If you are concerned that your account has been hacked, the website shouldichangemypassword.com tells you if your password has been released to the public.