emptywheel: OpSec Shaming Misses the Terrorists for the Forest of Bozos They Hid Behind

[Nevilledog]

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Dr. emptywheel
@emptywheel
Reup: OpSec shaming is fun -- but don't let it distract from the fact that the most dangerous terrorists remain at large.

OpSec Shaming Misses the Terrorists for the Forest of Bozos They Hid Behind | emptywheel
While we're laughing at the abysmal OpSec of most of the people arrested in the January 6 attack thus far, let's remember that, to a significant extent, the people taking selfies and trophies from...
emptywheel.net

https://www.emptywheel.net/2021/01/17/opsec-shaming-misses-the-terrorists-for-the-forest-of-bozos-they-hid-behind/

It has been amusing reading the affidavits justifying the arrest of the January 6 insurrectionists to see how easy many of them made it for the FBI.

Yesterday’s favorite example is Samuel Camargo. He posted a picture with some kind of trophy stolen from the Capitol building to his Instagram account and a confession that he had been in the riot on Facebook. After some of his associates reported him and then an FBI agent interviewed him, Camargo posted to his Facebook account claiming — notwithstanding the agent’s view that, “Camargo [had become] uncooperative, questioning your affiant’s loyalty to the constitution, and advised the interviewing agent he had no information to provide” — that he had been cleared of any crime related to the insurrection.

It didn’t work out that way.

InfoSec and cyber journalists are beginning to report on it, too. This happens to be one example, though I’m seeing a number of examples.

But while federal law enforcement has significant legal and technical resources at its disposal — like the ability to get warrants to phone or tech companies to see whose phones were in an area at a specific time, for instance — that’s proven unnecessary for a number of people who have been charged so far.

It goes on to review the OpSec failures of nine different coup-conspirators (and Camargo is not one of them).

I get the sense of schadenfreude that the seeming certainty among insurrectionists that they would not only be victorious but their victory celebrations would be risk-free has instead led to their arrests. I’m especially sympathetic to communities of color for whom similar behavior might have gotten them killed.

*snip*

[BusyBeingBest]

1. I've come to somewhat the same conclusion--that there were "professionals"

among the militias there doing the REAL work of trying to access the inside of the building and the occupants, while the crowds full of yahoos taking selfies and throwing things at police created a ton of distraction and cover. And I would like to know if it was planned that way by Trump's goons, like Roger Stone and Mike Flynn, and aided by seditious members of Congress.

[stillcool]

2. got to have cover...

which makes whatever is next more alarming....but that's just my active imagination.

[Marthe48]

3. A friend voiced worry that trump is leaving D.C. early to

be out of the way for worse on Jan. 20 I hope she is way off.

I hope that impeached traitor is mouthing off with no follow-up.

It is a dismal thought, but he won't shut up after he leaves D.C. and will continue to rile people up.

[okaawhatever]

4. This is so important. Over 100 arrests & none of them for the real insurrectionists. nt

[FakeNoose]

5. Don't worry - the feds are getting there

Each arrest gets more leads on the real terrorists.

Most likely the real terrorists weren't carrying cellphones, and they definitely didn't pose for selfies. They know the dangers of GPS tracking etc., so they're harder to locate and ID.

[Kaleva]

6. If the plan depends on 1000s of delusional folks storming the capitol, it's not much of a plan

It leaves way too much for chance.

I've said this before that these peoples' worldview is out of step with actual reality and because of that, they cannot produce a course of action or plan that has a legitimate chance of success.

Just because some may look and act professional, doesn't mean they actually are. It's like watching a WWII reenactment. The people involved appear to know what they are doing and it looks rather real but it clearly isn't because that world doesn't exist.

I'm not saying they aren't capable of mayhem because they can do that. I am saying they cannot succeed.

[crickets]

7. K&R for visibility.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. Very Premature

The ring leaders are not going to be hit with trespassing (sort of) & refusing to leave a restricted area.
They will take more time to build a conspiracy to commit sedition & insurrection.
And, they won't show their hand on any big fish until the fake president can't pardon these slimeballs.
Even if they know now, they're not making a move until Thursday.
I think it's way too soon to brand anything a failure.