Slashdot Mirror
'Project Vigilant' Recruits At Defcon To Track You
angry tapir writes "A secretive volunteer group that tries to track terrorists and criminals on the Internet went to the Defcon hacker conference in hopes of recruiting information security experts, but it will first have to overcome some skepticism. That's because most information security professionals have never heard of the group, called Project Vigilant."
It would be no less obvious.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
So, I got curious and clicked the link to the article. Then I clicked the link to the project's website, which beyond a splash screen with an INGSOC-esque logo with a half-assed latin slogan, you find a cheap-ass Drupal site which requires an OpenID account to log into. The list of logged-in users includes such gems as a guy named "poopcracker."
If this is cointelpro, its either extremely terrible, or extremely brilliant for looking so shoddy. Chances are, its just misguided vigilantism by people who read "gray hat python" and now think they can 'hack the Gibson'. I'm not sure which would disturb me more.
where it is definitely a good idea to take the blue pill!
I need trepanation like I need a hole in the head.
EU already has a simular technology in place.
You can get the analysis at wikileaks: EU social network spy system brief, INDECT Work Package 4
I think we can keep recursing like this until someone returns 1
Smart money says this is a sting operation to bag hackers who are a bit too keen to use their tech savvy to spy on their neighbours!
Two links with some more reading on Project Vigilant.
:)
"that it monitors the traffic of 12 regional Internet service providers, hands much of that information to federal agencies, and encouraged one of its "volunteers," researcher Adrian Lamo, to inform the federal government about the alleged source of a controversial video of civilian deaths in Iraq leaked to whistle-blower site Wikileaks in April."..
but said that because the companies included a provision allowing them to share users' Internet activities with third parties in their end user license agreements (EULAs), Vigilant was able to legally gather data from those Internet carriers and use it to craft reports for federal agencies.
from:
Stealthy Government Contractor Monitors U.S. Internet Providers, Worked With Wikileaks Informant
http://blogs.forbes.com/firewall/2010/08/01/stealthy-government-contractor-monitors-u-s-internet-providers-says-it-employed-wikileaks-informant
"Elite US cyber team courts hackers to fight terror"
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hKoXQdL-L1HFYObz0_UUHMactSWg
Top tip, stop chatting to strangers, try a sneaker net gap and again stop chatting
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
You would probably get better results telling the Church of Scientology that this company is out to get Scientology. They would be swarmed with private detectives, character assassins, corrupt cops, and seedy lawsuits within days.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Looks like the feds are playing East Germany and hope to spot you via a flood of occasional informants... they should ask the former East Germans state security types they contracted how well that worked for them.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
He must have the world's most awesome popped collar!
"He's lost in a 'floyd hole"
So when does the US get some of this help to circumvent government^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H protective spying and allow the free transmission of information. Oh, wait. I see now.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. indymedia
This is one case where it is definitely a good idea to take the blue pill!
I don't see how will taking Viagra do any good here.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
You know, as crazy as this may sound to some of you, working in the US intelligence field or the peripheral fields is not akin to being evil.
This really doesn't worry me too much to be honest. I'd rather have these people out there working then not. It's not as black and white as some would like to paint it. When the US Army Intel analyst Manning got busted leaking documents to wikileaks, he broke a Federal law and the authorities, working with an informant through this program, found out. This program was directly responsible for helping find the source of those leaks. Why is that a bad thing?
Also, this is the world of black hats. You think everything is as it appears? If you get duped then well that's on you huh.
When I was a MIRT Handler at Castlecops I heard of a secretive invite only organization that coordinated and worked on tracking online criminal activity. I was not told the name of this group. The deal was: if they wanted you then you would hear from them.
I wonder if this is the same group.
If so, then I assume their shadowy invite-only policy isn't working so well for recruiting.
Won't help those people to reach the goal, though.
Maybe Computers will never be as intelligent as Humans.
For sure they won't ever become so stupid. [VR-1988]
Kept MS code going for many years :)
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
"Seedy company hires hackers to commit felonies" -- Yawn.
"A person or entity providing an electronic communication service to the public shall not intentionally divulge the contents of any communication while in transmission on that service to any person or entity other than an addressee or intended recipient of such communication or an agent of such addressee or intended recipient."
Given the abuse and buzz power that that word has seen in the last couple of years, I tend to treat anything that comes with 'terroris.+' in the subject with a grain of salt. Well, actually more than a grain: I start giving credit starting at the absolute bottom of the scale when that regex matches, and it usually doesn't get very far. There is just too many people out there trying to make a living, if not easy money, out of scaring people and leveraging the politicians with that fear. Take a look at "The power of nightmares", a BBC documentary readily available on YouTube, about the latter.
Why aren't they focusing the same attention on elections in the USA?
Monitors the traffic of 12 regional Internet service providers? Is there a list posted anywhere? My ISP has a EULA, and there's are a few references to third party providers, but it doesn't seems to mention monitoring or sharing of activity or usage details.
This thread has gotten just too silly. Please move along to the next thread, a fairy story about the police.
A EULA for consumers, a EULA for costumers and a EULA from the gov to be an isp/bell/telco?
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
Given that they are being shilled by Wired and associated with Adrian Lamo, I think a lot of people are assuming they are just as fake.... esp people familiar with the cozy relationtionship Lamo had with Wired and the personality/mythos they manufactured around him...
Trying to get their name out there via association with a fake hacker and his sob story via the same publication that was used to bring attention to his 'exploits'.. really does not give them good PR.....
Lamo? Uber? Seriously now, don't they have more creative writers than that? This sounds like life is starting to emulate art (if you can call the assorted CSI:* series such).
Capability based security has been patiently waiting for people to get fed up with the broken mess that is user based security.... it's time to end this mess by properly securing everyone's computers.
"Two Guys from Quantico Pizza"
More on-topic: I certainly do hope hackers take up the offer. The more Wikileaks, the better for Democracy and Freedom.
From the whois info for projectvigilant.us:
From the whois info on bbhc-global.com
The address "4828 North Kings Highway" is "Indrio Crossing Pack N Ship", a mail drop.
The address "5817 Sunberry Circle" is a 2,800 sq/ft 5br/3ba residence, purchased in 2004 for $205,000.
There are two businesses registered at this address:
There is a drivers license record for Chet Lee Uber (47yo male, other ethnicity) at the Sunberry Circle address. He is a registered voter, affiliated to the Democratic party.
There is a Barbara Uber (66yo white female) with a listed phone number at the same address.
hahahahahaha! Either this guy is living up the cougar lifestyle, or he's living with his mom. :)
I couldn't find a drivers license record for Mr. Steven E Ruhe. There is a Steven R Ruhe (58yo white male) in Merrit Island, FL, but probably isn't him.
Jimita Johnson-Jones (32yo black female) has a drivers license record in Orlando, FL.
Let the jokes about living in his mothers basement commence! ... and all information gathered for this post was available through public resources. No electronic trespass was committed in the gathering of this data.
Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
From Steven Rhue's Plaxo profile, he graduated from Wahoo High school in Bumf**K..er Wahoo, NE in 2002, so he is only about 26. His Plaxo profile also has links to both Chet Uber's and Susan Van der Gaast's Plaxo profiles.
His Linkedin profile shows him living in Lincoln, NE, which fits with other things I read. It also shows him owning/related to T.G.B.S Construction, which I haven't found anything on.
In Soviet Russia, YOU track Project Vigilant!
Follow the trail.
projectvigilant.us is registered to Steven Ruhe steven.ruhe@bbhc-global.com of BBHC Global LLC in Fort Pierce, Florida
bbhc-global.com is registered to Ruhe, Steven chet.uber@mac.com in Fort Pierce, Florida. Specifically 5817 Sunberry Circle Fort Pierce, Florida 34951
The article specifically cites Chet Uber in Fort Pierce, FL.
The Florida DMV database shows no Steven Rhue in the area. It does show a Chet Lee Uber at the address the domain is registered to.
It doesn't take a lot of brain power to put that together. Everything matches the information provided. The "Steven Ruhe" is an alias. Well, a decoy if you will. If people are looking around for a Steven Ruhe, they are less likely to identify him as Chet Uber, even though there is significant crossover between the two identities.
It's possible you could find more people named "Steven Ruhe" or "Chet Uber" around the country, which may be what you found. I know if I search for either my real name or alias, I find lots of people all around the world with my name, some matching my general physical description.
I'd give the DMV database priority over anything from sources like Linkedin or Plaxo. Those places don't require any proof of who you are, where the DMV is a bit pissy about proving who you are. I just renewed my Florida drivers license, and needed my old drivers license, birth certificate, social security card, and two other proofs of your home address. I guess more importantly, he has two Chet Uber's listed as connections on Plaxo, each in different areas. Either he has two friends with the same name, or there's clearly no real validation of a persons identity.
Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
Wait, so a dozen large ISPs are handing private user data to Project Vigilant which in turn hands it to parts of the US gov't, and this is "legal" because the ISPs have EULAs which allow sharing with unspecified third parties???
Way to bury the lede, slashdot. Some mainstream journo needs to find out which ISPs are participating.
Chet Uber for Project Vigilance? ..
Sounds a lot like Christian Valor (se7en) if anyone remembers him..
My money is on him being bullshit artist looking for some speaking gigs before he gets found out to be a fraud.
His name was Steven Ruhe. His name was Steven Ruhe.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. indymedia
There was no mention of a Steven Ruhe in the story. He gave the alias of Steven Ruhe and the email address of chet.uber@mac.com on one of his domain registrations.
There is no Steven Ruhe living anywhere near where the person mentioned in the story lives. There *IS* a Chet Uber that not only lives in the same area, but at the same address as listed on one of his domains, which is just down the street from the listed address for the "Secretive Group" Project Vigilant (http://projectvigilant.us/)
But whatever. If you guys want to think that it couldn't possibly be the guy who lives at the address the domain is registered at, in the city that he said he lives in, and you want to believe it's another guy with the same name in another state, fine. It's good you don't try to play PI or anything.
Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
It was a Fight Club reference. I believe you by the way.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. indymedia
Oh, sorry. :) It's been a while since I saw Fight Club. I'll have to go add it to my Netflix queue.
Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.