How one man tracked down Anonymous—and paid a heavy price.

[charrington]

Aaron Barr believed he had penetrated Anonymous. The loose hacker collective had been responsible for everything from anti-Scientology protests to pro-Wikileaks attacks on MasterCard and Visa, and the FBI was now after them. But matching their online identities to real-world names and locations proved daunting. Barr found a way to crack the code.

In a private e-mail to a colleague at his security firm HBGary Federal, which sells digital tools to the US government, the CEO bragged about his research project.

"They think I have nothing but a heirarchy based on IRC [Internet Relay Chat] aliases!" he wrote. "As 1337 as these guys are suppsed to be they don't get it. I have pwned them! "

But had he?
"We are kind of pissed at him right now"
Barr's "pwning" meant finding out the names and addresses of the top Anonymous leadership. While the group claimed to be headless, Barr believed this to be a lie; indeed, he told others that Anonymous was a tiny group.

"At any given time there are probably no more than 20-40 people active, accept during hightened points of activity like Egypt and Tunisia where the numbers swell but mostly by trolls," he wrote in an internal e-mail. (All e-mails in this investigative report are provided verbatim, typos and all.) "Most of the people in the IRC channel are zombies to inflate the numbers."

The show was run by a couple of admins he identified as "Q," "Owen," and "CommanderX"—and Barr had used social media data and subterfuge to map those names to three real people, two in California and one in New York.

Near the end of January, Barr began publicizing his information, though without divulging the names of the Anonymous admins. When the Financial Times picked up the story and ran a piece on it on February 4, it wasn't long before Barr got what he wanted—contacts from the FBI, the Director of National Intelligence, and the US military. The FBI had been after Anonymous for some time, recently kicking in doors while executing 40 search warrants against group members.

Confident in his abilities, Barr told one of the programmers who helped him on the project, "You just need to program as good as I analyze."

But on February 5, one day after the Financial Times article and six days before Barr's sit-down with the FBI, Anonymous did some "pwning" of its own. "Ddos!!! Fckers," Barr sent from his iPhone as a distributed denial of service attack hit his corporate network. He then pledged to "take the gloves off."

When the liberal blog Daily Kos ran a story on Barr's work later that day, some Anonymous users commented on it. Barr sent out an e-mail to colleagues, and he was getting worked up: "They think all I know is their irc names!!!!! I know their real fing names. Karen [HBGary Federal's public relations head] I need u to help moderate me because I am getting angry. I am planning on releasing a few names of folks that were already arrested. This battle between us will help spur publicity anyway."

Indeed, publicity was the plan. Barr hoped his research would "start a verbal braul between us and keep it going because that will bring more media and more attention to a very important topic."

But within a day, Anonymous had managed to infiltrate HBGary Federal's website and take it down, replacing it with a pro-Anonymous message ("now the Anonymous hand is bitch-slapping you in the face.") Anonymous got into HBGary Federal's e-mail server, for which Barr was the admin, and compromised it, extracting over 40,000 e-mails and putting them up on The Pirate Bay, all after watching his communications for 30 hours, undetected. In an after-action IRC chat, Anonymous members bragged about how they had gone even further, deleting 1TB of HBGary backup data.

They even claimed to have wiped Barr's iPad remotely.

The situation got so bad for the security company that HBGary, the company which partially owns HBGary Federal, sent its president Penny Leavy into the Anonymous IRC chat rooms to swim with the sharks—and to beg them to leave her company alone. (Read the bizarre chat log.) Instead, Anonymous suggested that, to avoid more problems, Leavy should fire Barr  and "take your investment in aaron's company and donate it to BRADLEY MANNINGS DEFENCE FUND." Barr should cough off up a personal contribution, too; say, one month's salary?

As for Barr's "pwning," Leavy couldn't backtrack from it fast enough. "We have...
MORE
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/02/how-one-security-firm-tracked-anonymousand-paid-a-heavy-price.ars

[tinfoiltruth]

great story, but if what is said in the story is true, the government doesn't have as much control of Social media as a lot of people say.

[decepticon]

great story, but if what is said in the story is true, the government doesn't have as much control of Social media as a lot of people say.

how do you come to that conclusion ? there's a difference between having control of something, and being able to use that something to actually get what you want out of it.

 it's not like the anon have facebook profiles with their real names and pictures of themselves and blogs about how they just pulled off a dDOS attack...

[jesussdad]

interesting stuff.

[Kilika]

The system is letting those clowns get away with their childish antics. The feds could corral those kiddy keymashers if they wanted to, but I suspect they are part of the fed's operations. I mean seriously, one guy is able to track them down and the feds can't? Bull, I'm not buying it at all.

The feds have control and access of "social media" all they want, and the Patriot Act allows it. Look at the military and their cyberwar programs and they can't track these idiots down? I say bull again.

[decepticon]

The system is letting those clowns get away with their childish antics. The feds could corral those kiddy keymashers if they wanted to, but I suspect they are part of the fed's operations. I mean seriously, one guy is able to track them down and the feds can't? Bull, I'm not buying it at all.

The feds have control and access of "social media" all they want, and the Patriot Act allows it. Look at the military and their cyberwar programs and they can't track these idiots down? I say bull again.

first off it's not one guy, he works for a security firm. if you would have read the article you would have noticed that. and whether or not they actually found an elite member is in question, they just arrested a guy, nothing has been proven.

and once again, these guys don't have facebook accounts with their real names and pictures of themselves with their address, i'm a noob and i know better than that. they know what facebook is. the fed is able able to easily track and monitor the real idiots who put their real information on there. people who want to hide are not so easily hearded.

and if you haven't noticed the mask they use to represent themselves are from the character on V for Vendetta who "is the resistence". these guys aren't much different idealogically from the people on this forum, the difference is they actually do stuff.

[Kilika]

and if you haven't noticed the mask they use to represent themselves are from the character on V for Vendetta who "is the resistence". these guys aren't much different idealogically from the people on this forum, the difference is they actually do stuff.

Yeah, they do stuff alright, and at the same time don't have the courage to stand up publically and voice their displeasure for whatever they supposedly stand for. Instead, they hide and cower in the dark recesses of society like little bugs.

So from your post, I gather you support these clowns? Can you tell I hate hacking, and have a very low opinion of people of their pursuation? To me those types are anti-social introverted cowards. A hack is a hack.

Just because you don't like somebody, that doesn't give you the right to cause harm or damage to someone's property. They are no better than idiots who run around damaging storefronts at G20 meeting protests while wearing masks. They are digital anarchists.

I've had long discussions with some of that type (both black and white hats) over gaming when I was in game development and we were talking about cheating in gaming. Some of the attitudes of these types is unbelievable. They think they can just run amok doing whatever they want just because they think they got some kind of leet skills. Whatever.

It just a bunch of punk kids, or adults that never grew up that are seriously misguided in the way they show their displeasure.

I mean seriously, don't you think it strange these guys haven't been caught? With as much stuff as they are alledgely to have done? There is NO WAY they are getting away all on their own. They got government help, and some of them are most likely wearing military uniforms I suspect.

Why? It's a perfect cover, a digital false flag to show how much society needs the government(not!) to help them stop these raskle hackers from destoying legitimate business.

Sorry, I ain't buying it.

[_CREATIONIST_]

I dont put anything past 4chan. The anonymous group are basically people who frequent 4chan, and while there may be a few feds intermingled in this, 4chan is an animal all it's own and the one lesson to be learned from this is that you DO NOT mess with these guys. The guy doused himself in gasoline and expected not to get burned.

[Kilika]

I dont put anything past 4chan. The anonymous group are basically people who frequent 4chan, and while there may be a few feds intermingled in this, 4chan is an animal all it's own and the one lesson to be learned from this is that you DO NOT mess with these guys. The guy doused himself in gasoline and expected not to get burned.

Those types get away with it because of the fear people have. If society would stand up to those type groups they would have no place to hide. But yet nobody really does anything because the vast majority don't have the skills technically to deal with them. Isn't it amazing how a bunch of hacks can attack a security firm and basically bring it down? Sorry, that wasn't any kid hackers from some forums that learned some coding in their basement. These people are trained for that stuff, and I say it has the stench of government all over it.

Just like a bunch of robe-wearing radicals living in caves didn't do 9/11. Those "radical terrorists" had help big time.

[decepticon]

well seeing what has happened to people who stand up and vocalize their displeasure, i don't really blame them. (see jfk). it's not that i support them and think they're great or anything, but i don't fault them for trying to crash the matrix. and they don't attack people because they don't like them, they attack people who they believe are attempting to block free speech. and in this guys case, people who attack them cuz he doesn't like them. so i think this jackass got/is getting what was coming to him.

ya i've played my share of video games, and i never "hacked" to get a good score. comparing a video game hacker to anon doesn't really hold water for me. video gamers hack for vanity, anon hacks to attempt to better society. whether or not they actually do is a whole nother topic.

i don't really think its strange they haven't been "exterminated", they don't have a leader, they don't have meetings. to use your analogy, it would be like my house was infested with cockroaches, and every day i come home i smash every one that comes out of hiding. this goes on for 2+ years and i think to myself, man i must have killed 5000 cockroaches by now, yet every day i come home i see just as many as the day before, isn't it odd i haven't killed them all ? of course i haven't, cuz for every one i've caught in the light, there are 300 more in the walls reproducing like jack rabbits.

of course they could all work for the government, people could say the same about people that post on this forum, as a "hey look what they're doing with free speech, it needs to be banned !" so that is a circular argument that cannot really be proven or disproven.

don't really care what you are buying cuz i'm not trying to sell you anything, just giving my opinion.

[Kilika]

anon hacks to attempt to better society

And that is the exact attitude hackers have. It's nothing more than digital vandalism, yet those types think because it's just 1's and 0's it's no big deal. It's one thing to actively protest, but when you start vandalizing other people's property outside the rule of law, well, you've taken matters into your own hands in total disregard for the law, which makes them no better than the targets of the assaults.

And that is my opinion.

[decepticon]

yeah i suppose when the founding fathers started the american revolution they sat down and said "ok guys, we want to revolt and overthrow this ruthless tyrant, but let's make sure we stay well within english rule of law so that we are good upstanding subjects of the crown as we overthrow it. perhaps someone should send a letter to the king and let him know of our dismay, and that he should expect a revolution presently" /sarcasm

but back in reality, they attacked british forts in the dead of night in a time of peace, and british blood was shed. what a bunch of insubordinates, no wonder they are remembered in infamy.


all is fair in love and war.

[Kilika]

 

[Elder]

Yeah, they do stuff alright, and at the same time don't have the courage to stand up publically and voice their displeasure for whatever they supposedly stand for. Instead, they hide and cower in the dark recesses of society like little bugs.

How are you gonna say that an anonymous group of people don't stand up in public?  What do you know, other than your speculation which is based on another's speculation?  I bet these people do go out to protest and whatnot but don't reveal that they are part of the anonymous.  The whole point of anonymous is like fight club- you do not talk about fight club.  When you are out in the world you are Jack and Jill, but online you are an Anonymous.

So from your post, I gather you support these clowns? Can you tell I hate hacking, and have a very low opinion of people of their pursuation? To me those types are anti-social introverted cowards. A hack is a hack.

I like how people like you here throw out these attacks w/o any knowledge or facts.
>anti-social introverted cowards<  I like those clowns.  I must be cointelpro.
Why do you hate hacking?  Oh, that's right, because it means doing something other than posting uselessly on a message board.  I forgot where I was...  Hacking doesn't damage anything.  Deleting files might be implied as damage, but if they were intel files about you and your friends, you'd delete them too.

Just because you don't like somebody, that doesn't give you the right to cause harm or damage to someone's property. They are no better than idiots who run around damaging storefronts at G20 meeting protests while wearing masks. They are digital anarchists.

Digital anarchists?  Yeah, no one should police the internet.  I agree with them.  And they don't arbitrarily attack people/ servers.  Unless it's like, against other "anon boards" and that's really more of a game/ fun.

I've had long discussions with some of that type (both black and white hats) over gaming when I was in game development and we were talking about cheating in gaming. Some of the attitudes of these types is unbelievable. They think they can just run amok doing whatever they want just because they think they got some kind of leet skills. Whatever.

I've never ever heard an anon talk about black or white hats.  In fact most shit about anon isn't refuted because showing up to defend anon kinda outs you.  A game is supposed to be mentally challenging.  Some people use all their ability to have a good time and I support that.  You call it cheating in a game, I call it being better equipped to win.

Do you see the theme?  They think they're elite because of their knowledge.  You think you're elite because of your morals.  The man thinks he's elite because of his influence.  "Ah, vanity.  Definitely my favorite sin."

It just a bunch of punk kids, or adults that never grew up that are seriously misguided in the way they show their displeasure.

Yeah, taking on mega-corporations directly in a setting in which there are no rules and using an extensive knowledge of electronic systems to evade detection and covering friendly activities in a blanket of confusion while using their own systems of security to keep the anon's actions secure is WAY childish.  Damn kids these days...

I mean seriously, don't you think it strange these guys haven't been caught? With as much stuff as they are alledgely to have done? There is NO WAY they are getting away all on their own. They got government help, and some of them are most likely wearing military uniforms I suspect.

So, because you don't understand these things, because you don't have intimate and advanced knowledge of networking, computers, coding, and electronic security these guys can't possibly know this either.  OK.  You ever heard of a whistleblower?  Maybe some people gain specific knowledge and access and pass it on to anonymous for the use of good?  Oh, wait, you don't see any good here.

Why? It's a perfect cover, a digital false flag to show how much society needs the government(not!) to help them stop these raskle hackers from destoying legitimate business.

Sorry, I ain't buying it.

Yeah, no matter what the government tells you Anonymous is not teh turrerist.  The government can only blame stuff on anonymous as they do the tea party.  The establishment always attacks freedom.  Anon has never done anything that messes with your life or destroys legitimate business.  And if the man killed the net, they would hack it back online or provide the backdoor.

Those types get away with it because of the fear people have. If society would stand up to those type groups they would have no place to hide. But yet nobody really does anything because the vast majority don't have the skills technically to deal with them. Isn't it amazing how a bunch of hacks can attack a security firm and basically bring it down? Sorry, that wasn't any kid hackers from some forums that learned some coding in their basement. These people are trained for that stuff, and I say it has the stench of government all over it.

Just like a bunch of robe-wearing radicals living in caves didn't do 9/11. Those "radical terrorists" had help big time.

Clearly from your repeated posting, you have no clue how electronic security/ networking/ devices and access work.
The way the attacks are run are so simple and so very easily covered by a shadow of reasonable doubt that you can't stop them.  I could post instructions and you could be part of an attack in less than 1 minute, depending on your connection and ability to follow instructions.

Stand up to what?  Dudes posting funny memes and pr0n and downloading movies and music?  Yeahr get dem turrerists!
No place to hide?  When you're online you're in their house!  On their field.  This is what they know.  You don't need government resources or funding to get a computer and to read books and learn.  This ain't no 9/11.  There ain't no required gear that you can't afford.  There ain't no explosives needed to be placed by the presidents family.  It's a computer virus combined with a little direction and effort.  No money or special skills needed.  They do not know anything special that you aren't capable of knowing.

[tinfoiltruth]

How are you gonna say that an anonymous group of people don't stand up in public?  What do you know, other than your speculation which is based on another's speculation?  I bet these people do go out to protest and whatnot but don't reveal that they are part of the anonymous.  The whole point of anonymous is like fight club- you do not talk about fight club.  When you are out in the world you are Jack and Jill, but online you are an Anonymous.

I like how people like you here throw out these attacks w/o any knowledge or facts.
>anti-social introverted cowards<  I like those clowns.  I must be cointelpro.
Why do you hate hacking?  Oh, that's right, because it means doing something other than posting uselessly on a message board.  I forgot where I was...  Hacking doesn't damage anything.  Deleting files might be implied as damage, but if they were intel files about you and your friends, you'd delete them too.

Digital anarchists?  Yeah, no one should police the internet.  I agree with them.  And they don't arbitrarily attack people/ servers.  Unless it's like, against other "anon boards" and that's really more of a game/ fun.

I've never ever heard an anon talk about black or white hats.  In fact most shit about anon isn't refuted because showing up to defend anon kinda outs you.  A game is supposed to be mentally challenging.  Some people use all their ability to have a good time and I support that.  You call it cheating in a game, I call it being better equipped to win.

Do you see the theme?  They think they're elite because of their knowledge.  You think you're elite because of your morals.  The man thinks he's elite because of his influence.  "Ah, vanity.  Definitely my favorite sin."

Yeah, taking on mega-corporations directly in a setting in which there are no rules and using an extensive knowledge of electronic systems to evade detection and covering friendly activities in a blanket of confusion while using their own systems of security to keep the anon's actions secure is WAY childish.  Damn kids these days...

So, because you don't understand these things, because you don't have intimate and advanced knowledge of networking, computers, coding, and electronic security these guys can't possibly know this either.  OK.  You ever heard of a whistleblower?  Maybe some people gain specific knowledge and access and pass it on to anonymous for the use of good?  Oh, wait, you don't see any good here.

Yeah, no matter what the government tells you Anonymous is not teh turrerist.  The government can only blame stuff on anonymous as they do the tea party.  The establishment always attacks freedom.  Anon has never done anything that messes with your life or destroys legitimate business.  And if the man killed the net, they would hack it back online or provide the backdoor.

Clearly from your repeated posting, you have no clue how electronic security/ networking/ devices and access work.
The way the attacks are run are so simple and so very easily covered by a shadow of reasonable doubt that you can't stop them.  I could post instructions and you could be part of an attack in less than 1 minute, depending on your connection and ability to follow instructions.

Stand up to what?  Dudes posting funny memes and pr0n and downloading movies and music?  Yeahr get dem turrerists!
No place to hide?  When you're online you're in their house!  On their field.  This is what they know.  You don't need government resources or funding to get a computer and to read books and learn.  This ain't no 9/11.  There ain't no required gear that you can't afford.  There ain't no explosives needed to be placed by the presidents family.  It's a computer virus combined with a little direction and effort.  No money or special skills needed.  They do not know anything special that you aren't capable of knowing.

yup

[Kilika]

you do not talk about fight club

Why? And why not reveal one is part of those people? Because what they do is illegal, that's why. If a person breaks the law in an effort to combat something they feel is wrong, they are no better than the the ones they are protesting against. Evil for evil never works in the end. There is a reason why people hide, and it isn't because they are abiding by the law, it's because they don't want to get caught doing things they know is illegal.

Why do you hate hacking?  Oh, that's right, because it means doing something other than posting uselessly on a message board.  I forgot where I was...  Hacking doesn't damage anything.  Deleting files might be implied as damage, but if they were intel files about you and your friends, you'd delete them too.

Look, I've been working on computers for over 20 years, I know the deal, so it's not like I'm sitting back runing my mouth out of ignornace. My first computer class was WAY back in 1981. I choose not to know how to hack because I simply don't agree with breaking into other people's stuff. It's called respecting other people's property.

And yes, hacking does do damage. If you go into some businesses database and wipe it clean, you just did damage to their property without authorization. That's criminal, and you should go to jail for it.

And no, I would not delete them because I wouldn't be there in the first place. Unlike some, I respect other people's property, regardless of what they have. There is such a thing as rule of law, and if they get caught, they'll learn how illegal their activity really is.

Digital anarchists?  Yeah, no one should police the internet.  I agree with them.  And they don't arbitrarily attack people/ servers.  Unless it's like, against other "anon boards" and that's really more of a game/ fun.

You just proved my point. You people think it's all just a game of cat and mouse, catch me if you can mentality. And from this post, it sounds like your more than in agreement. I think you spoke too much. Too bad you don't have the 133t skills to go in and delete these files, afterall, it's just fun isn't it?

I've never ever heard an anon talk about black or white hats.  In fact most shit about anon isn't refuted because showing up to defend anon kinda outs you.  A game is supposed to be mentally challenging.  Some people use all their ability to have a good time and I support that.  You call it cheating in a game, I call it being better equipped to win.

Do you see the theme?  They think they're elite because of their knowledge.  You think you're elite because of your morals.  The man thinks he's elite because of his influence.  "Ah, vanity.  Definitely my favorite sin."

Then you haven't been listening. You got kiddy coders and button mashers, then you get people who actually have some skills, and that community is either black or white hats. Thought you were up on all that?

But the bolded part is the classic attitude of game cheaters, because they have no gaming skills at all, so they are forced to cheat to "level up". They don't want to be bothered with actually playing by the rules because they are weak and lazy. I bet you just love wall hacks don't you? Your kind makes me sick to my stomach!

Care to state your actual age child? Because I've heard your exact attitude from many kids in the gaming world. Too fat and lazy to actually learn something, but you'll spend all kinds of time trying to circumvent the rules.

You do realize that a game is created with rules for a reason right? Apparently not. I guess you think they are there just to be broken. The whole point of a game is to have fun with an agreed-upon set of rules. But you types I guess don't care about rules.

And you talk to me about morals! Figues you'd revel in sin. You apparently have no morals expect your own, and no I don't think I'm elite, just forgiven. Thank you Jesus!

to keep the anon's actions secure

Why would you want to keep your actions "secure"? Because you know good and well what your doing is illegal and you'd go to jail if caught. Tell the FBI your just being secure and having fun, and see what they tell you. I'd recommend your friends stop before they have to explain to their cellmate Bubba they were just having fun.

Anon has never done anything that messes with your life or destroys legitimate business

Are you really that deluded?

Clearly from your repeated posting, you have no clue how electronic security/ networking/ devices and access work.

From my repeated posting? What does that mean in relation to any knowledge? As I stated, I've been working with computers most of my adult life. Granted it's hardware maintenance and a dash of programming, but still I have no doubt I have more knowledge about it than you, since I suspect I was being trained on computers before you were even alive. Ever used a card reader? I bet you never even seen one in person. You want to talk coding big boy? Try coding with punch cards. I was trained how to do it, and have done it. Seriously, you don't want to go there!

When you're online you're in their house!  On their field.

So your telling me hackers own the internet? I thought Al Gore did!

You ever heard of a whistleblower?

Get real dude! They aren't whistleblowers, they are criminals breaking the law, that's why they hide their identities.

And you really should wake up and smell reality, Your playing in a world that could get you tossed in prison.

[Elder]

Why? And why not reveal one is part of those people? Because what they do is illegal, that's why. If a person breaks the law in an effort to combat something they feel is wrong, they are no better than the the ones they are protesting against. Evil for evil never works in the end. There is a reason why people hide, and it isn't because they are abiding by the law, it's because they don't want to get caught doing things they know is illegal.

Yes, every law is justice and every gubberment offical is a GOD.

YOU ARE RIGHT THERE THOUGH.  They don't want to "get caught" by evil, parasitic Agent Smiths.
The Jews hid from the Nazis.  What they were doing was illegal.  What the people helping them did was illegal.

Look, I've been working on computers for over 20 years, I know the deal, so it's not like I'm sitting back runing my mouth out of ignornace. My first computer class was WAY back in 1981. I choose not to know how to hack because I simply don't agree with breaking into other people's stuff. It's called respecting other people's property.

And yes, hacking does do damage. If you go into some businesses database and wipe it clean, you just did damage to their property without authorization. That's criminal, and you should go to jail for it.

Are you running a bait and switch or are you just not on point?
Anonymous does not go in and wipe business databases FOR FUN or FOR NO REASON and if you were targeting them, and they targeted you because of it, then you got what you deserved.

And no, I would not delete them because I wouldn't be there in the first place. Unlike some, I respect other people's property, regardless of what they have. There is such a thing as rule of law, and if they get caught, they'll learn how illegal their activity really is.

You just proved my point. You people think it's all just a game of cat and mouse, catch me if you can mentality. And from this post, it sounds like your more than in agreement. I think you spoke too much. Too bad you don't have the 133t skills to go in and delete these files, afterall, it's just fun isn't it?

Love that vanity.  And that switch.  I mention they raid other anon sites for fun, you imply I am one of them, here, on a mission.  And that athoratay.

Then you haven't been listening. You got kiddy coders and button mashers, then you get people who actually have some skills, and that community is either black or white hats. Thought you were up on all that?

But the bolded part is the classic attitude of game cheaters, because they have no gaming skills at all, so they are forced to cheat to "level up". They don't want to be bothered with actually playing by the rules because they are weak and lazy. I bet you just love wall hacks don't you? Your kind makes me sick to my stomach!

Care to state your actual age child? Because I've heard your exact attitude from many kids in the gaming world. Too fat and lazy to actually learn something, but you'll spend all kinds of time trying to circumvent the rules.

You do realize that a game is created with rules for a reason right? Apparently not. I guess you think they are there just to be broken. The whole point of a game is to have fun with an agreed-upon set of rules. But you types I guess don't care about rules.

Oookay.  I don't play video games.  Or watch TV.  I read books and go to movies, and hang out online.  Notice I only have like 50 posts.
Also, I'm 30, tall, very fit, a college drop-out with a 4.0 gpa (they're so full of it that I decided I didn't need their permission to be a productive member of society, I could just go out and do it and learn about whatever I take interest in) I work two jobs now while I'm young and single and it's easy and the economy sucks, (and I noticed I get random awesome opportunities because I'm always around people and I actually have cash) and I didn't need anyone to tell me what is right.  I base my OPINION (thats all anyone has) of what is right on a wide set of philosophies that I have read.  But you'll probably read that as "the road to Hell is broad."

And you talk to me about morals! Figues you'd revel in sin. You apparently have no morals expect your own, and no I don't think I'm elite, just forgiven. Thank you Jesus!

Forgiven?  That's a word you're using in place of elite.  I mentioned that your elitism extended from your morals because you back your opinion with religion.  Thinking you are special, or part of a special group, that'd be the required foundation of elitism.

Why would you want to keep your actions "secure"? Because you know good and well what your doing is illegal and you'd go to jail if caught. Tell the FBI your just being secure and having fun, and see what they tell you. I'd recommend your friends stop before they have to explain to their cellmate Bubba they were just having fun.

Are you really that deluded?

Implying I know any anonymous or are a part of any such group.
Yes, we should all bow to King George's laws of warrant-less wiretaps, add noisome...

From my repeated posting? What does that mean in relation to any knowledge? As I stated, I've been working with computers most of my adult life. Granted it's hardware maintenance and a dash of programming, but still I have no doubt I have more knowledge about it than you, since I suspect I was being trained on computers before you were even alive. Ever used a card reader? I bet you never even seen one in person. You want to talk coding big boy? Try coding with punch cards. I was trained how to do it, and have done it. Seriously, you don't want to go there!

I was just saying that I've never read a post from you that implied you had any advanced computer knowledge.  Okay, here's the first one.

So your telling me hackers own the internet? I thought Al Gore did!

I like strawmen, let's do it: you can only own what you can keep and defend.

Get real dude! They aren't whistleblowers, they are criminals breaking the law, that's why they hide their identities.

Lol.  Really?  Is that what you think?

And you really should wake up and smell reality, Your playing in a world that could get you tossed in prison.

Implying again that I've done or admitted to doing anything illegal.
I'm fairly certain I know how real real is. 
There is a real possibility of a scientific dictatorship as Alex describes.  Will the hackers still be stupid ignorant basement-dwelling children when they fight to free the internet of censorship and dictatorial control?

[charrington]

Yeah, they do stuff alright, and at the same time don't have the courage to stand up publically and voice their displeasure for whatever they supposedly stand for. Instead, they hide and cower in the dark recesses of society like little bugs.

So from your post, I gather you support these clowns? Can you tell I hate hacking, and have a very low opinion of people of their pursuation? To me those types are anti-social introverted cowards. A hack is a hack.

Just because you don't like somebody, that doesn't give you the right to cause harm or damage to someone's property. They are no better than idiots who run around damaging storefronts at G20 meeting protests while wearing masks. They are digital anarchists.

I've had long discussions with some of that type (both black and white hats) over gaming when I was in game development and we were talking about cheating in gaming. Some of the attitudes of these types is unbelievable. They think they can just run amok doing whatever they want just because they think they got some kind of leet skills. Whatever.

It just a bunch of punk kids, or adults that never grew up that are seriously misguided in the way they show their displeasure.

I mean seriously, don't you think it strange these guys haven't been caught? With as much stuff as they are alledgely to have done? There is NO WAY they are getting away all on their own. They got government help, and some of them are most likely wearing military uniforms I suspect.

Why? It's a perfect cover, a digital false flag to show how much society needs the government(not!) to help them stop these raskle hackers from destoying legitimate business.

Sorry, I ain't buying it.

Some of them have been caught - but if you read up on botnets you'll see why it's at times impossible to trace them. Believe me there are ways you can do things and not be seen online. 20-40 ish in age -- if you want to experience / learn it for yourself -- head over to 4chan and start asking questions. Although I really don't recommend that at all.

[kaostrophe]

always haters, i wish i had the skills

[charrington]

always haters, i wish i had the skills

No kidding ...

[Kilika]

Okay, whatever. Some people just don't get it.

[charrington]

Okay, whatever. Some people just don't get it.

Truer words have yet to be spoken.

[Albert_Pike]

I think the Church of Scientology (a ruthless and violent criminal organization disguised as a religion) quickly infiltrated anonymous and did them in good. They even stalked and threatened the lives of Dozens of it's leading members. I'm not sure if anyone in anonymous was actually murdered by CoS though..

Anonymous is comprised of mostly teenagers and twenty-somethings. The immature drunk and obnoxious college party-type kids, potheads, and depraved sexual deviants. I side with the morals of anon's efforts to expose Scientology as a relentless thieving and sometimes murdering, global criminal organization. But I can't justify the morals behind hacking credit card companies.

[tinfoiltruth]

I think the Church of Scientology (a ruthless and violent criminal organization disguised as a religion) quickly infiltrated anonymous and did them in good. They even stalked and threatened the lives of Dozens of it's leading members. I'm not sure if anyone in anonymous was actually murdered by CoS though..

Anonymous is comprised of mostly teenagers and twenty-somethings. The immature drunk and obnoxious college party-type kids, potheads, and depraved sexual deviants. I side with the morals of anon's efforts to expose Scientology as a relentless thieving and sometimes murdering, global criminal organization. But I can't justify the morals behind hacking credit card companies.

never hacked any credit card company's. they did a DDoS which is not hacking. Hacking is the act of gaining access to someones system. they had no more access then you do to there website.

now in the case of this story they did hack there email server to get information, and I believe they deleted backups.

either way my point is if your are going to accuse someone of something atleast accusing them of the right thing.

[37]

Anonymous speaks: the inside story of the HBGary hack
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/02/anonymous-speaks-the-inside-story-of-the-hbgary-hack.ars/


This is a great analysis of how it happened...and is written in a manner that even the layman can understand what went down. 

Sorry if someone else posted it...but, bump worthy if so.