News Anonymous: Operation Last Resort.

[nsaspook]

Anonymous: "Operation Last Resort."

http://www.zdnet.com/anonymous-hacks-us-sentencing-commission-distributes-files-7000010369/

This should be a fun one to watch unfold.

 

[Evo]

http://www.zdnet.com/anonymous-hacks-us-sentencing-commission-distributes-files-7000010369/

This should be a fun one to watch unfold.

Criminal activity and threats are not the way. "fun to watch unfold"? You mean see how much money this costs the taxpayers?

 

[nsaspook]

Criminal activity and threats are not the way. "fun to watch unfold"? You mean see how much money this costs the taxpayers?

I don't think these 'kids' are going to cost the taxpayers a dime. There are true professionals who would out hack these guys while drunk. Do they have people on the inside who are providing them access? I sure they do as most of the so called "hacks' are really inside jobs. My response would be to hack their sites and to install a big finger on the front-page.

 

[WannabeNewton]

I support anon 200% even if this country's disgustingly corrupt and secretive government does nothing about it. At least these statements are made to the public. The bullying of Aaron by the department of "justice" was absolutely abhorrent just like their arrest of Bradley Cooper years back and I find it harder and harder to live in a country run by such a deceptive, anti - information regime. If anon's threats are not empty then I can't wait to see what other information they have to release regarding the war crimes and tearing of information liberties this country's government has committed.

 

[Evo]

I don't think these 'kids' are going to cost the taxpayers a dime. There are true professionals who would out hack these guys while drunk. Do they have people on the inside who are providing them access? I sure they do as most of the so called "hacks' are really inside jobs. My response would be to hack their sites and to install a big finger on the front-page.

Of course what they've done is going to cost taxpayer's money to fix. And depending on what they do with the stolen files, could cost much more, IMO to above.

 

[Evo]

I support anon 200% even if this country's disgustingly corrupt and secretive government does nothing about it. At least these statements are made to the public. The bullying of Aaron by the department of "justice" was absolutely abhorrent just like their arrest of Bradley Cooper years back and I find it harder and harder to live in a country run by such a deceptive, anti - information regime. If anon's threats are not empty then I can't wait to see what other information they have to release regarding the war crimes and tearing of information liberties this country's government has committed.

Did you know that it was MIT that insisted on prosecuting? The other party JSTOR dropped charges. So, blame MIT.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/14/mit-aaron-swartz_n_2474098.html

 

[WannabeNewton]

Did you know that it was MIT that insisted on prosecuting? The other party involved dropped charges. So, blame MIT.

I won't blame MIT in the same way. The US gov't was trying to prosecute Aaron before MIT even found out about his JSTOR operation and this was their "smoking gun". I hope anon actually does have incriminating evidence against the US gov't. For people who want to read opinions, events / timelines, and questions regarding the grave injustice:
http://www.salon.com/2013/01/16/aaron_swartz_reveals_the_hypocrisy_of_our_justice_department/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/18/john-cornyn-eric-holder-aaron-swartz_n_2505528.html
http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/01/1...z-secret-service-took-over-the-investigation/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/14/aaron-swartz-stephen-heymann_n_2473278.html
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-did-the-justice-system-target-aaron-swartz-20130123

 

[nsaspook]

Of course what they've done is going to cost taxpayer's money to fix. And depending on what they do with the stolen files, could cost much more, IMO to above.

Some salaried gs-9 will restore the files from the last backup, a salaried gs-13 will analyze the hacked imaged system to see what was modified and who had access (that anon left open to make it harder to track). Hacking a open government online site is a job for "script kiddies". If they really have something it didn't come from this action.

 

[Evo]

I won't blame MIT in the same way. The US gov't was trying to prosecute Aaron before MIT even found out about his JSTOR operation and this was their "smoking gun". I hope anon actually does have incriminating evidence against the US gov't.

What was he being prosecuted for before using MIT's computers to hack JSTOR? Blurb and link to mainstream source please. According to your "source" MIT and Cambridge police arrested swartz on Jan 4th, they were the first by 7 months in arresting Swartz.

Your link

The public story of Aaron Swartz’ now-tragic two year fight with the Federal government usually starts with his July 19, 2011 arrest.

But that’s not when he was first arrested for accessing a closet at MIT in which he had a netbook downloading huge quantities of scholarly journals. He was first arrested on January 6, 2011 by MIT and Cambrige, MA cops.

 

[rootX]

Criminal activity and threats are not the way. "fun to watch unfold"? You mean see how much money this costs the taxpayers?

It's less of an evil to be attacked by Anonymous than by external enemy countries or thieves willing to sell information to those countries. If Anonymous can steal the government material, what does it tell about government's ability to protect its data?

 

[Evo]

It's less of an evil to be attacked by Anonymous than by external enemy countries or thieves willing to sell information to those countries. If Anonymous can steal the government material, what does it tell about government's ability to protect its data?

I think it's well known that many government websites aren't set up with proper protection, it's no revelation.

 

[WannabeNewton]

What was he being prosecuted for before using MIT's computers to hack JSTOR? Blurb and link to mainstream source please. According to your "source" MIT and Cambridge police arrested swartz on Jan 4th, they were the first by 7 months in arresting Swartz.

I shouldn't have said prosecuted but rather investigated so sorry for the wrong word use:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/us/13records.html?_r=0
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/10/swartz-fbi/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-boyle/prosecution-aaron-swartz_b_2508242.html (again to the PACER section)

 

[Evo]

I shouldn't have said prosecuted but rather investigated so sorry for the wrong word use:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/us/13records.html?_r=0
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/10/swartz-fbi/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-boyle/prosecution-aaron-swartz_b_2508242.html (again to the PACER section)

Well, of course there should be an investigation prior to an arrest.

 

[WannabeNewton]

Well, of course there should be an investigation prior to an arrest.

Yes but my point is the JSTOR incident wasn't the very start of this whole ordeal. MIT certainly acted terrible in light of this incident but he was being "hounded" before that. Anyways regarding the topic at hand, in all reality I doubt anon's hacking will do anything because it unfortunately never seems to effect any drastic apology on the part of the government but hopefully their threats about the to be leaked information isn't empty.

 

[nsaspook]

Anyways regarding the topic at hand, in all reality I doubt anon's hacking will do anything because it unfortunately never seems to effect any drastic apology on the part of the government but hopefully their threats about the to be leaked information isn't empty.

My personal feelings are the same, I hope they do have information about real wrong doing and not just some personal information about a cross-dressing politician who told the truth during a vetting. But I don't think they have diddly that will matter.

 

[russ_watters]

...their arrest of Bradley Cooper years back...

Er, that's Bradley Manning. And I find it abhorrent that you find his arrest abhorrent.

 

[WannabeNewton]

Er, that's Bradley Manning. And I find it abhorrent that you find his arrest abhorrent.

Yes sorry Bradley Manning (too many Bradley cooper movies in my head recently ;)) and I'm sorry you find the idea of a transparent government abhorrent. What does it matter in the end if the public knows about the injustices being committed by the government anyways. It is powerless in the government's wake. In that regard there is no point in even arguing.

 

[nsaspook]

Manning should have been arrested and deserves the harshest penalty we can give him. If transparent government means no secrets or never telling lies that's not going to happen. If it means keeping people responsible for their actions when the truth outs (it usually does when somebody gets shafted) then I'm on your side.

 

[russ_watters]

Y...and I'm sorry you find the idea of a transparent government abhorrent.

Some things need to be secret in order for a government to do its job. Your idea that there should be no secrets is naive.

 

[WannabeNewton]

Some things need to be secret in order for a government to do its job. Your idea that there should be no secrets is naive.

I would agree with you completely except on accounts of war but I realize that I'm but one person. I'll have to settle for just being cynical. Sorry if I offended you in any way.

 

[nanosiborg]

It's sad that Aaron Swartz died. He seemed to be a good person. But he wanted to play hard ball with the big boys and he wasn't prepared to do that. Hacking government websites is bad business in general, but to do it in 'retaliation' for Swartz's suicide makes no sense. I don't think that governments should be trusted, but there's many things regarding which they just can't be transparent.

 

[AnTiFreeze3]

I believe there is a childish saying that sometimes saying nothing at all is just as bad as lying.

This is the case when the government chooses to not tell us about the countless civilians that are murdered by the United States military in wartime. But of course, how are they supposed to have wars if they can't get public support? Not everything is as simple as Allies vs. Axis; Good vs. Evil. The government has an agenda, and the public will hault that agenda if the government is brutally honest with the public about its agenda. Like Russ said, "some things need to be secret for the government to do its job."

That doesn't necessarily mean that the government is doing a good job, but nevertheless it has become a necessary evil of ruling a country.As for the actual thread, I would agree that this will be interesting to watch unfold, but occurrences like this are far more symbolic than they are productive. People do things like this just to prove that it can be done. But maybe we will get some nice information out of it.

 

[mheslep]

... absolutely abhorrent just like their arrest of Bradley Cooper years back and I find it harder and harder to live in a country run by such a deceptive, ...

Er, that's Bradley Manning. And I find it abhorrent that you find his arrest abhorrent.

Some things need to be secret in order for a government to do its job. Your idea that there should be no secrets is naive.

Regardless of Manning's failure to recognize the requirements of a functioning government, I find his actions abhorrent because he served in the US military and gave an oath to in effect place his personal preferences in the drawer. The time to take action against government policy was before he put on that uniform or after taking it off, not while he was entrusted with secrets.

I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

 

[micromass]

Regardless of Manning's failure to recognize the requirements of a functioning government, I find his actions abhorrent because he served in the US military and gave an oath to in effect place his personal preferences in the drawer. The time to take action against government policy was before he put on that uniform or after taking it off, not while he was entrusted with secrets.

I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

His action are abhorrent. And he indeed broke an oath and deserved to be punished. But what he's going through now is something that he did not deserve. I don't think he's a bad kid, and it pains me to know how he's suffering for trying to do the right thing.

 

[russ_watters]

Regardless of Manning's failure to recognize the requirements of a functioning government...

Just to be clear, I don't know what Manning's motivation was and if he recognized the requirements of a functioning gov't or not. I was commenting on WBN's failure to recognize it.

 

[Skrew]

I'm curious what they will do too. I can't comment on this specifics but what he was charged with(according to what I have heard) was pretty ridiculous in terms of the jail time.

In regards to government far more transparency is needed. I think the belief that citizens should trust government to do what's best for them and not question it, is fatally flawed. Government is a necessary evil but it always needs to be kept in check.