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It wasn't clear to me that it was a device that was wireless. They said it was installed.. they called it a wireless router monitoring device, which suggests wi

It wasn't clear to me that it was a device that was wireless. They said it was installed.. they called it a wireless router monitoring device, which suggests wireless, but it seems more plausible that they would have installed something physical to listen in on the cable connection (or something else north of the router)... the 'wireless' bit being the transmission of data back to them?

sliverstorm 15y ago
Yes, from the sound of it the "wireless" part was simply how the device reported back to its owners. Probably a good call, really. It requires physical presence, but done right it could be nigh undetectable, whereas reporting over the target's uplink could alert a very sharp target, and possibly even reveal who its masters are (based on destination).
there 15y ago
Ah, that makes more sense (and makes me less paranoid).
redthrowaway 15y ago
SSL would have solved that. I'm perturbed by the number of hackers getting taken down who blather on about their personal lives, use a VPN with no encryption and think it's safe, and still manage to break into these rather large systems. Either they're skilled but reckless and cavalier, they're idiots and security everywhere is a joke, or both. Not sure which of those scenarios is more disturbing. Either way, I suspect that, in the wake of these latest arrests, we'll see both better opsec from Anon, as well as an increased focus on security from those who are likely to be targets. In the meantime, I'll get 15 messages on my facebook wall saying, "see who's visited your profile!" sigh
- icebraining 15y ago
  He did use Tor, which encrypts everything up to the exit node, so I don't get your point. The only thing they had was the Tor IPs, and SSL doesn't hide IPs.
- nikcub 15y ago
  errr.. SSL still connects to IP's and there isn't really such a thing as a 'VPN without encryption'
- xtracto 15y ago
  You just have to read about Gary McKinnon "hacking". The guy himself said that he is no wizard or anything similar but that a lot of the US government computers he got in had a blank password for the administrator...
- HeyLaughingBoy 15y ago
  who blather on about their personal lives This is nothing surprising. If you listen to the (public) disclosures of wiretaps on e.g., Mob bosses, etc., it's full of mundane chatter about what they had for lunch, who they met, their bowling scores, etc. The reality is that after some time of being secretive and not getting caught, it's human nature to just act normally and let your guard down. If you think about it, the criminal only has to make one mistake out of thousands of individual actions to be caught and prosecuted. Criminals are just ordinary people, not supervillains!

sliverstorm 15y ago

Yes, from the sound of it the "wireless" part was simply how the device reported back to its owners. Probably a good call, really. It requires physical presence, but done right it could be nigh undetectable, whereas reporting over the target's uplink could alert a very sharp target, and possibly even reveal who its masters are (based on destination).

there 15y ago

Ah, that makes more sense (and makes me less paranoid).

redthrowaway 15y ago

SSL would have solved that. I'm perturbed by the number of hackers getting taken down who blather on about their personal lives, use a VPN with no encryption and think it's safe, and still manage to break into these rather large systems. Either they're skilled but reckless and cavalier, they're idiots and security everywhere is a joke, or both. Not sure which of those scenarios is more disturbing. Either way, I suspect that, in the wake of these latest arrests, we'll see both better opsec from Anon, as well as an increased focus on security from those who are likely to be targets. In the meantime, I'll get 15 messages on my facebook wall saying, "see who's visited your profile!" sigh

icebraining 15y ago
He did use Tor, which encrypts everything up to the exit node, so I don't get your point. The only thing they had was the Tor IPs, and SSL doesn't hide IPs.
nikcub 15y ago
errr.. SSL still connects to IP's and there isn't really such a thing as a 'VPN without encryption'
xtracto 15y ago
You just have to read about Gary McKinnon "hacking". The guy himself said that he is no wizard or anything similar but that a lot of the US government computers he got in had a blank password for the administrator...
HeyLaughingBoy 15y ago
who blather on about their personal lives This is nothing surprising. If you listen to the (public) disclosures of wiretaps on e.g., Mob bosses, etc., it's full of mundane chatter about what they had for lunch, who they met, their bowling scores, etc. The reality is that after some time of being secretive and not getting caught, it's human nature to just act normally and let your guard down. If you think about it, the criminal only has to make one mistake out of thousands of individual actions to be caught and prosecuted. Criminals are just ordinary people, not supervillains!