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Crime

Wikileaks DDoS Attacker Arrested, Equipment Seized 429

Posted by samzenpus from the I-feel-safer-already dept.
kaptink writes "The self proclaimed hacker that waged a DDoS attack on Wikileaks has been arrested and has had all his equipment seized. What is interesting is that local police conducted the raid and not a federal authority such as the FBI. The Jester (th3j35t3r) who has a reputation for attacking websites he disagrees with is said to be trying to raise $10,000 in expected lawyers fees. If anyone is going to be alight in the whole Wikileaks debacle, its going to be the lawyers. Personally I think anyone who spells their nick with numbers in an effort to look 'leet' deserves to have their computer confiscated."
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Wikileaks DDoS Attacker Arrested, Equipment Seized More

Wikileaks DDoS Attacker Arrested, Equipment Seized

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  • Summary Fail (Score:5, Informative)

    by intellitech ( 1912116 ) * on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @04:55PM (#34409756)

    Try as I might, I see ZERO MENTION of the jester being arrested in the linked article. Here's the real article, pulled from the original submission:

    http://www.thinq.co.uk/2010/12/1/wikileaks-hacker-raided-cops/ [thinq.co.uk]

    Interestingly enough, thinq.co.uk seems to be one of only a few, if more than one, reporting on the subject. A few quick google searches turned up nothing regarding his arrest..

    • Re:Summary Fail (Score:5, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @05:01PM (#34409874)

      Not only that, but other sites reporting on the subject are already retracting:

      UPDATES: Reports of the raid and confiscation of equipment are most likely a hoax or an elaborate social engineering scheme to capitalize on current news events.

      Details are still few, and sympathizers should exercise caution before donating funds allegedly for "attorney fees". The original text requesting donations, as quoted below, and the corresponding link have been deleted from the "new" site.

      https://www.infosecisland.com/blogview/9916-Hacker-The-Jester-Reports-Raid-By-Law-Enforcement.html [infosecisland.com]

      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Kagura ( 843695 )
        Here's the guy's [twitter.com] twitter. He claims he's not arrested.

        Weird story...

      • Re:Summary Fail (Score:5, Informative)

        by Dayofswords ( 1548243 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @11:00PM (#34413336)

        further update from his twitter:
        ( http://twitter.com/th3j35t3r [twitter.com] )

        # the real Jester thanks all with common sense and the ability to research, while at the same time never begging for money. (EVER). OUT. about 3 hours ago via web

        # The raid story = fabricated by the imposter (@th3j3st3r - www.th3j35t3r.net) to facilitate him capitalizing on the name, or to draw me out. about 3 hours ago via web

        # really wanted to TANGO DOWN - www.th3j35t3r.net IMPOSTER - today but I appear to have bigger stuff to deal with. Shit happens. about 3 hours ago via web

        # requires no cash. I will not have blood of a money-grabbin opportunist (@th3j35tsr) on my hands. Consider urself dusted. (thankyou). about 3 hours ago via web

        # PS FOR the record I have not been lifted, and do not require any finances or donations - dont be sucked in by @th3j3st3r imposter.OUT about 4 hours ago via web

        # th3j35t3r For sake IMPOSTER (@th3j3st3r (www.th3j35t3r.net)) I plead you to STFU and vanish.'He knows not what he does.' Heed me now. about 4 hours ago via web

    • I sense a hoax.

    • Re:Summary Fail (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Monkeedude1212 ( 1560403 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @05:10PM (#34410040) Journal

      Someone on here earlier was saying that the Jester doesn't have the smarts or the technology to pull off something like the DDoS thats been happening to Wikileaks - and if that's true I wouldn't be surprised if this is just some fabricated story to pump up Jester's "cred" as a "leet hacker".

    • Re:Summary Fail (Score:4, Informative)

      by Celestialwolf ( 1656075 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @05:24PM (#34410260)

      Try as I might, I see ZERO MENTION of the jester being arrested in the linked article. Here's the real article, pulled from the original submission:

      http://www.thinq.co.uk/2010/12/1/wikileaks-hacker-raided-cops/ [thinq.co.uk]

      Interestingly enough, thinq.co.uk seems to be one of only a few, if more than one, reporting on the subject. A few quick google searches turned up nothing regarding his arrest..

      Reply posted on the link you provided above: "UPDATES: Reports of the raid and confiscation of equipment are most likely a hoax or an elaborate social engineering scheme to capitalize on current news events: https://www.infosecisland.com/blogview/9916-Hacker-The-Jester-Reports-Raid-By-Law-Enforcement.html [infosecisland.com] "

    • Re:Sh (Score:3, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward

      SLASHDOT shame on you... in your rush to try to "scoop" everyone else you posted what is more than likely a hoax storey.

      Be careful everyone before you help to "donate" $10,000 to his attorney fees. This is more than likely a scam. There is no confirmation from ANY reputable site, news or otherwise, that police actually kicked his door in today and confiscated anything.

      Of course Slashdot won't post this comment because ...

      1) It's a little critical of them and...

      2) It's from "anonymouse"

  • No surprises (Score:5, Interesting)

    by betterunixthanunix ( 980855 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @04:57PM (#34409784)
    I won't say which, but that guy (or at least someone using that handle) would occasionally drop into an IRC channel that I frequent, trying to recruit us. When news of the leak first broke, I wondered if he was going to try to DOS wikileaks (something he had spoken about doing in the past), and then, there was a DDOS. Now he's been arrested for it, and I cannot say that I am surprised.

    Now I just have to wonder if he'll receive a pardon of some kind.

  • Trying to raise money (Score:5, Insightful)

    by kyrio ( 1091003 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @04:57PM (#34409800) Homepage
    I truly hope no one is dumb enough to give him money.

  • Helping Law Enforcement (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Sponge Bath ( 413667 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @04:58PM (#34409808)
    So he committed a crime and tweeted about it. Stupid, but helpful for law enforcement. Durrrr....

    • So he committed a crime and tweeted about it. Stupid, but helpful for law enforcement. Durrrr....

      The Internet has made stupid drunken or braggy confessions to one's pals even easier for cops to overhear. No longer does a cop or an informant have to be in physical proximity to the moron! Oddly exactly what it was made for: Easier communication!

  • I honestly don't care one way or the other regarding the Wikileaks mess, but common sense tells you that if you do something illegal (like DDoS'ing) and then brag about it that you will likely get caught.

    • I honestly don't care one way or the other regarding the Wikileaks mess, but common sense tells you that if you do something illegal (like DDoS'ing) and then brag about it that you will likely get caught.

      Maybe he thought the CIA would thank him and give him a job. ;-)

  • th3j35t3r - Lame. (Score:5, Funny)

    by Teckla ( 630646 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @04:59PM (#34409832)

    A nick name like "th3j35t3r" is so unbelievably lame.

    It clearly should be "7h3j3573r".

  • Point (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Voulnet ( 1630793 )

    "Personally I think anyone who spells their nick with numbers in an effort to look 'leet' deserves to have their computer confiscated"

    This.

  • I'm surprised. (Score:4, Interesting)

    by grub ( 11606 ) <slashdot@grub.net> on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @04:59PM (#34409844) Homepage Journal

    I honestly thought it was government(s) behind the DDoS.
    • Ah well, the beauty of modern times is, you do not have to take immediate action as a government in cases like this - especially if the internet is involved. Most likely some moron somewhere will take it on himself to act as your sockpuppet - intentional or not. Then you wipe your hands clean, arrest the poor fool and play the part of the righteously indignated while secretly laughing all the time.
    • You give up too quickly. Based on the furor with which some people where insisting it must be the government yesterday, I'm fully expecting to see people arguing that "The Joker" is a patsy taking the fall to distract attention from the government and their elite squad of script kiddies.

    • Re:I'm surprised. (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Scrameustache ( 459504 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @05:20PM (#34410194) Homepage Journal

      I honestly thought it was government(s) behind the DDoS.

      Well, he was motivated by "patriotism" fueled by the FUD spread by government(s)... is it them doing it if they influence people without giving direct instructions? Philosoraptor knows...

    • You thought that because you are a dumbass.

    • Personally I didn't think it was a DDOS, but a slashdotting from diplomats trying to find out what everybody else really thinks about them.

  • On a related note (Score:5, Informative)

    by Amorymeltzer ( 1213818 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @04:59PM (#34409848)

    The Wikileaks twitter account [twitter.com] is reporting/complaining that Amazon booted them from using their servers. Others [guardian.co.uk] are saying [readwriteweb.com] it was due to pressure from the US.

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by electron sponge ( 1758814 )

      Amazon does a fair bit of business in the United States, what with it being an American corporation and all. I'm surprised Wikileaks lasted a day before getting the boot. Kudos to Amazon for knowing where their bread is buttered.

      • Re:On a related note (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Amouth ( 879122 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @05:27PM (#34410310)

        Kudos to Amazon for knowing where their bread is buttered.

        NO.. no kudos for them - now if they where presented with a court order to shut it down then by all means.

        but this is a violation of due process if not, and as far as i'm concerned places Amazon out of what could be reasonably considered a common carrier on their EC2 platform..

        which means they should be liable as assisting any illegal activity that happens on their EC2 platform.

        • Re:On a related note (Score:4, Insightful)

          by nametaken ( 610866 ) * on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @05:31PM (#34410370)

          No doubt this somehow fell under ToS violations. Not so much a perversion of justice.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Amouth ( 879122 )

            well like app ToS's they all have the line "this can be changed at any time without notice and your bound to it" with lines like that i really don't know why they bother with the rest of the document.. just put

            ToS: You will do what we say, when we say, how we say, and pay us for it.

      • It takes basically no integrity, ethics or courage to lick boot when somebody with a lot of clout asks you to. Kudos should be reserved for people and organizations that demonstrate some integrity, even if they ended up folding later.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Amazon license agreement says they can boot you if they determine that hosting you is a security concern. I am not saying there aren't more nefarious reasons, but its quite possible they were just getting sick of getting DDOSed. (Section #3.4.1)

      http://aws.amazon.com/agreement/#3

    • Re:On a related note (Score:5, Interesting)

      by L3370 ( 1421413 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @05:45PM (#34410588)
      From the article from readwriteweb--
      "Senator Lieberman issued a statement saying that Amazon.com has informed his staff that the company has ceased hosting Wikileaks."

      First off...go figure Joe Lieberman has anything to do with this. Second, why must Amazon.com report to Joe Lieberman and his staff for any reason? I'm not the type to boycott services for politcal views, but I'm willing to boycott Amazon for associating with such a toolbag.
  • He choose this to wage a DDoS on? I can think of hundreds of sites better suited for this. How about taking down some known terrorists sites? Maybe the RIAA or MPAA?

  • First, we set fire to all the lawyers (Score:4, Funny)

    by steveha ( 103154 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @05:03PM (#34409916) Homepage

    If anyone is going to be alight in the whole Wikileaks debacle, its going to be the lawyers.

    That's sort of an incendiary comment. You're playing with fire, here; you don't want to flame lawyers, they might get hot under the collar.

    steveha

  • Leetness and the individual... (Score:3)

    by The Pirou ( 1551493 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @05:06PM (#34409976)
    I fail to see how being an 'individual' and acquiring a moniker for one's self that 'might' not have been used to any gainful notoriety by someone else prior to this point justifies having their computer confiscated.

    Alphanumeric's are practically forced down our throat at every turn, whether it's in new capture images, password requirements on a banking site or when registering with any of the other myriad companies you might be required to have a login for these days. Is it so strange for that to translate into a name that transcends the King's English?

  • It only took two days since the attack occurred for the perpetrator to be tracked down and arrested? I can't say I've ever heard of such a fast response time to a computer crime. I'm quite surprised.

    Is this typical these days?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by SEWilco ( 27983 )

      It only took two days since the attack occurred for the perpetrator to be tracked down and arrested? I can't say I've ever heard of such a fast response time to a computer crime. I'm quite surprised.

      Is this typical these days?

      I don't know. Let's see if Wikileaks has reports on the typical computer crime response.

    • Re:Fast response time... (Score:5, Funny)

      by grcumb ( 781340 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @05:31PM (#34410358) Homepage Journal

      It only took two days since the attack occurred for the perpetrator to be tracked down and arrested? I can't say I've ever heard of such a fast response time to a computer crime. I'm quite surprised.

      Is this typical these days?

      Nah, not hardly. Let me demonstrate.

      I'll just fire up my handy-dandy scrypto-rama botnet infestor... there... and point it at Amazon... like that. And - hang on, there's someone at the doo%$^&%&*+++NO CARRIER

  • Real vigilantes do not (Score:5, Insightful)

    by losttoy ( 558557 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @05:12PM (#34410094)
    1. Attack Amazon's infrastructure from their home computer
    2. Post about it on twitter
    3. Make videos of the attack and blog
    4. Try to recruit sidekicks
    5. Brag about it on IRC and the interwebs

    You do any or all of the above, and you are not a vigilante or a cracker. You are just another idiot you got his/her paws on a computer.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by rcamans ( 252182 )

      not idiot, mentally challenged. like anyone posting or written about on /.
      oh, wait a minute....

  • S(r3w u! (Score:5, Funny)

    by turing_m ( 1030530 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @05:16PM (#34410156)
    1 \/\/4$ 4B4|\|D0|\|3D 4$ 4 (|-|1LD 4|\|D r41$3D b'/ |-|4>0r3r$, j00Z 1|\|$3|\|$171\/3 (L0D!
  • This guy is an idiot. Wikileak's owner is on the Interpol's most wanted list and half the U.S. calling for your head. The issue is so hot right now, doing anything remotely involved with the Wikileak site - good or bad - is going to get your ass hunted by SOMEBODY.

  • I think someone who uses the letter "k" instead of the letter "c" in their nickname to look kool deserves to have their komputer konfiscated. I'm looking at you kaptink.

  • The initial list of equipment seized is as follows:
    1 Kaypro 386
    1 box of 1.4MB floppy disks
    1 VBS Scripting for Dummies
    1 box of Star Wars Kleenex
    1 bag of Peanut M&Ms
    1 high-back executive desk chair with two missing casters
    1 copy of Penthouse Forum from April 1986
    1 Wal*Mart computer desk
    4 Star Wars Attack of the Clones action figures
    1 spring-loaded Star Wars Light Saber (Mace Windu model)

    Please post more items when they become known/available through the press.
    Thank you.

  • Insurance file? (Score:3)

    by dysfunct ( 940221 ) * on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @05:59PM (#34410808)
    That "th3j35t3" guy appears to be a major idiot, admitting [twitter.com] to various DDoS attacks and being very public [wordpress.com] about his actions and convictions.

    He's even gone so far as to develop his own pretty DoS tool [infosecisland.com] with green fonts on black background with twitter integration that exploits uber-secret knowledge, like opening many connections that slowly feed http headers to apache, thereby using up all available children.

    What will be interesting, though, is his own encrypted insurance file [wordpress.com], that supposedly contains various information about the people behind wikileaks, although - like the wikileaks insurance file - you can't really prove it contains anything but random garbage. I rather choose to believe that the guy is a bored, stupid teen who read too many articles about the fantasy anarcho-hacking world of the 90s...

  • Bad Summary (Score:3)

    by h4rr4r ( 612664 ) on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @06:10PM (#34410952)

    Some of us made up our usernames when we were children, think of the children!

  • Actual setup of Wikileaks? (Score:3)

    by identity0 ( 77976 ) on Thursday December 02, 2010 @02:59AM (#34414488) Journal

    I may be a bit late to this discussion, but I was wondering if anyone could fill me in on the technical side of Wikileaks, instead of the politics.

    - Why is it called Wikileaks when it's not a wiki?
    - How do they ensure confidentiality of leaker's identities?
    - I know they have a group of volunteers working around the world, how do they communicate securely?
    - How hard would it be for the US/Other .gov to compromise wikileaks, and ferret out the informers/insert wrong data/track down Julian?

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