"Backtrace Security" declares cyber war on Anonymous "Progressives"

[RainDog]

http://blogs.forbes.com/andygreenberg/2011/03/18/ex-anonymous-hackers-plan-to-out-groups-members/

According to a Forbes blogger, from information received from Hubris...

BackTrace’s “director of psychological operations,” tells "Forbes" that the group (Backtrace calls itself a company, but Hubris says it’s still in the process of incorporating) aims to put an end to Anonymous “in its current form.” That form, Hubris argues, is a betrayal of its roots: Fun-loving, often destructive nihilism, not the political hacktivism Anonymous has focused on for much of the past year. “ has truly become moralfags,” says Hubris, using the term for hackers who focus on political and moral causes instead of amoral pranks. “Anonymous has never been about revolutions. It’s not about the betterment of mankind. It’s the Internet hate machine, or that’s what it’s supposed to be.”

Backtrace (from rd...hmmm, sounds like Blackwater or some other corporately-controlled entity, but what do I know, says it's) “an information security provider” focusing on “psychological operations/social engineering and deep investigative research.”

“Backtrace Security assists our clients predict and neutralize emerging social threats,” the statement reads. “While other security companies specialize in hardware/software vulnerabilities and exploitation; Backtrace specializes in the human experience.”


Personally, I would doubt "Hubris" (that also sounds like some right wing book by some ex-CIA guy, but, whatever) is anything more than an attempt by the Bank of America's of the world to maintain their cozy criminal operations. Organized crime always hits back hard. But that's just my speculation.

But by claiming they are amoral "independent" hackers, rather than paid amoral shills for power... someone could deny their scumbaggery, I suppose, by calling it "nihilism" instead of whoring for fascists.

[snot]

1. K&R'd

"According to one source within the Backtrace group, it will release the names and instant messaging logs of several Anonymous hackers who took part in attacks on PayPal, Mastercard, the security firm HBGary, Westboro Baptist Church, and the Marine officials responsible for the detainment of WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning."

[MicheleMooreHappy1]

33. NSA Trolls?

If you were running an operation to discredit, disgrace, disrupt and distress Anonymous, this is exactly what it would look like. (Hubris gives it all away when he says he specializes in psychological operations.)

This action successfully distracts and detracts from all the good that has been done under the Anonymous banner - helping the people of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya get around government censorship, releasing indicators B of A fraud, disclosing plans to discredit Wikileaks supporters and Chamber of Commerce critics, etc., etc.

Sixty to seventy percent of our national security budgets are paid to private contractors. (source: Tim Shorrock's excellent, well documented book "Spies For Hire")

Some of these contractors are corrupt and their actions seriously threaten our basic rights, freedom and democracy.

Anonymous is the only "group" that has fought back and tried to expose this corruption and government complicity with it.

This sort of sordid counter attack is exactly what we should expect from covert contractors like HBGary who profit from trying to limit criticism of their corporate and government clients.

Misinformation and disinformation is how those guys make a living.

[Name removed]

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[RainDog]

6. maybe military? - probably more like hired goons for corporate interests

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/17/anonymous-puts-central-banks-on-notice-demands-bernanke-resign/

it's hard to know where corporate interests end and national ones begin any more in this country since corporate entities now seem to own so much of the political real estate in the U.S.

The Department of Defense said recently it was opening an investigation into "Anonymous" after someone allegedly threatened to release the personal information of soldiers guarding Pvt. Bradley Manning, an American accused of leaking secret data to WikiLeaks.

Pentagon officials also said that "Anonymous" sought to interfere with communications at the Quantico, Virginia military base where Manning was being held.

And HuffPo did just announce that the Pentagon was rolling out psy ops online within "social media" groups and "Anonymous" is not just in the U.S., so their claims that they will not use this on U.S. citizens (which I don't actually believe for one minute, btw) would allow them to justify such work on anyone they i.d. as part of the progressives calling themselves anonymous.

The Forbes article says "Hubris" claims to have info on who launched attacks on HBGary and Westboro - I thought and said at the time that I thought the Westboro attack was a set up to provoke people.

I think this is also an attempt to try to undermine anyone who releases info harmful to bizzes that shows their criminal liability and then try to claim attacks on those who go against corporate power are defending "national security."

This quote got me: And how would Hubris prefer Anonymous spend its time? “Making fun of stupid people on the Internet. Laughing at natural disasters. Like back to the good old days,” he says. “Not trying to overthrow governments.”

since when is Bank of America or HBGary the govt? oh yeah.

[kristopher]

12. You didn't get the memo? +1 nt

[IowaRevolutionary]

3. BoA front group nt

[IScreamSundays]

4. Bring it MFers

I betcha Anon is just salivating.

[divine_truine]

7. Yup!

these koch-whore facists won't know what hit 'em!

[Beam Me Up]

5. who ever controls your perception of reality

controls you

what ever you believe to be true becomes the basis for your decisions

whether it is true or not

cf: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x684923#685816

one of the first things i read on the internets cerca 1994:

"today there are so many different, competing descriptions of reality, anyone not thinking for himself must be going insane"

in form ation streams

[RainDog]

9. in this sort of situation

... tho I'm not religious, I find this phrase is a useful way to parse perception:

"by their fruit you will recognize them."

[sudopod]

8. Asking for it. nt

[toddwv]

10. Don't know what to read of this...

So some guy name "hubris" is saying that his new whitehat company is going to release "names" and logs? Wow, I'm sure that all the anons are quaking in their boots.

Now the world know that annearky36 (who logged into the chat room through one or more proxies) said that he was 1ee7.

Sounds like a honeypot.

[kenny blankenship]

25. Now -Hubris- that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from

[kristopher]

11. "social engineering"; don't you just love language? Nt

[blogslut]

13. Um

I think Andy Greenberg dun goofed.

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/jessi-slaughter

[JoeyT]

14. Yep, that was the first thing I thought of when I heard backtrace too.

Someone dun goofed. Consequences will never be the same.

[blogslut]

24. They "gave" the chat logs to Gawker!

G.a.w.k.e.r.

http://gawker.com/#!5783173/inside-anonymous-secret-war-room

Over 9000 chat logs!

[RainDog]

19. I saw that Forbes has all sorts of articles about this stuff

not all from Greenberg, not "backtrace" - one was about a 14 year old female hacker that seemed to be totally fabricated.

so you think this is just a prank too?

I guess we'll see if anyone actually releases information.

[SpiralHawk]

15. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction

This was inevitable.

Collateral damage coming our way.

Ptooooey.

[CommonSensePLZ]

16. Anonymous is somewhere LOLing at them ~nt

[ReggieVeggie]

17. moralfags?

that's a new one on me

[Dash87]

21. I didn't notice that. They've already lost then.

This should be a funny display of epic failure. HBGary part two.

[Jkid]

18. The civil war begins...this will be interesting...

[Dash87]

20. These sociopathic nerds aren't Progressives, but I hope

That this company becomes another HBGary, or whatever it was called. Never underestimate a bunch of losers with hacking skills.

[jacquelope]

22. Oh, great. Just GREAT.

Another hacking group, this one looking for legitimacy under the auspices of being anti-hacktivist.

God save us from BackTrace.

[LoZoccolo]

23. XD @ the explanations in this thread & only one person who knows what they are talking about.

[RainDog]

27. well, if you know, then explain

the link to Forbes was on Raw Story, I read it and posted it here and have asked questions more than once here.

so, if you know, why don't you simply explain.

that's sort of the purpose of posting something and then asking questions.

but if you don't know, then I guess you won't answer.

[ikri]

26. Um

Shouldn't someone mention to BackTrace what happened to the last company that publicly went after Anonymous?

I'm sure they could get the phone numbers & email addresses of people who worked for HBGary, possibly from Anonymous' own archive of hacked emails.

[CommonSensePLZ]

28. So Backtrace thinks Anonymous is "unpatriotic"?

Unpatriotic for making the rich a powerful feel powerless and scared for a change? Unpatriotic for supporting Wikileaks making illegal activity of people with money and connections known? I guess that tells you who "Backtrace," there's an inside joke in that name BTW (it's not what you think), is with.

[socialist_n_TN]

30. Yeah, that's what I was thinking too........

"Unpatriotic" has always been a RW dog whistle word. This bunch is capitalist/government founded and backed. What's the inside joke?

[CommonSensePLZ]

38. Well....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x686806#693216 (related subthread, these guys knew what I was talkin about lol)

The girl in the video below did a bunch of stupid videos, people found out who she was, some people hassled her and her family online and IRL and this hilarious video was a product of all of the stupidity. The moral of the story is that some kids just don't have sense online and the parents should make sure they do:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPxEpwPHyJ8

[Bodhi BloodWave]

31. could you point me at the unpatriotic line, i seem to be skipping it somehow when i look over the OP

[CommonSensePLZ]

34. Oh, not here

http://gawker.com/#!5783173/inside-anonymous-secret-war-room

[Bodhi BloodWave]

36. aaah, thanks, going to read now n/t

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

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[FLAprogressive]

29. I BACKTRACED IT. CONSEQUENCES WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

[LoZoccolo]

32. END OF CONVERSATION

[AngryAmish]

35. I'm calling the cyberpolice.

[SidDithers]

37. Exactly...

/thread.

Sid