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Man Who Sent GIF of Laughing Mouse To Employer After DDoS Attack Is Now Arrested (bleepingcomputer.com)

Posted by msmash on from the not-the-onion dept.

An anonymous reader writes: The FBI has arrested and charged a man for launching DDoS attacks against a wide range of targets, including his former employer, a Minnesota-based PoS repair shop. The man, who bought access to a VPN but didn't use it all the time, was caught after registering email accounts and sending taunting emails to victims, including his former employer. The taunting emails also included a GIF image of a laughing mouse, which eventually tied the man to the DDoS attacks as well. The guy also uploaded the image on Facebook in a post that asked people to join in DDoS attacks on banks as part of Anonymous' Operation Icarus. The suspect also created the fake email accounts using the name of another former colleague, trying to pin suspicions on him. The FBI was not only able to track the man's real IP address, but they also tied him to attacks without a doubt because he used a DDoS-for-hire service that was hacked and its database was shared with the FBI.

75 comments

  1. affiliated with the Anonymous hacker collective by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    who is this "for chan"?

    1. Re:affiliated with the Anonymous hacker collective by ArylAkamov · · Score: 1

      HACKERS ON STEROIDS

    2. Re:affiliated with the Anonymous hacker collective by wardrich86 · · Score: 1

      No way. He wasn't behind nearly enough proxies by the sounds of it

    3. Re:affiliated with the Anonymous hacker collective by SirGarlon · · Score: 2

      I thought Anonymous had a history of talking newbies into committing crimes, but leaving out the information about how not to get caught.

      --
      [Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
    4. Re:affiliated with the Anonymous hacker collective by PPH · · Score: 1

      who is this "for chan"?

      Some sort of Mongolian throat singing fan site.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
    5. Re:affiliated with the Anonymous hacker collective by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Needs more hip sway

  2. When you read a story like this by Martin+S. · · Score: 2

    It tends to confirm the original sacking was probably justified.

    1. Re:When you read a story like this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep. Anyone who thinks it's a good idea to send "anonymous" emails via Google and/or Yahoo mail should not be working in IT.

    2. Re:When you read a story like this by Major_Disorder · · Score: 1

      It tends to confirm the original sacking was probably justified.

      Washburn confirmed that Gammell also worked for them, but had left in good terms three years before, to start his own soldering training company.

      The funny thing, at least to me, is that while soldering properly is an art form, it is rather easy to learn. A couple of YouTube videos, and a little practice and you are there. I learned to solder many many years ago from a former NASA employee who had worked on the Apollo project.

      --
      First law of people: People are generally stupid.
    3. Re:When you read a story like this by gnick · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Or anyone engaging in nefarious activity "...who bought access to a VPN but didn't use it all the time..." I keep my VPN up permanently with a kill switch so that it fails safe. And I'm just a soft-core criminal who likes to download "Last Week Tonight" and "Game of Thrones" without having to deal with subscribing/dropping HBO via Comcast. (If it was easy to drop, I'd spring for it during GoT season, but Comcast makes adding channels easy and removing them a PITA. Requiring me to talk to a live human whose job is to discourage me is more than I'm willing to deal with.)

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    4. Re:When you read a story like this by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      The levels of stupid of that guy are monumental.

      It seems like he wanted to be caught as many different ways as possible.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    5. Re:When you read a story like this by gnick · · Score: 1

      ...while soldering properly is an art form, it is rather easy to learn. A couple of YouTube videos, and a little practice and you are there.

      I found it useful to have a coach. I'd been soldering for years, but a few hours with a stereo microscope and an anal retentive trainer broke me of some bad habits that I wasn't aware of.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    6. Re:When you read a story like this by omnichad · · Score: 1

      Running your own mail server would leave a more permanent paper trail.

    7. Re:When you read a story like this by Major_Disorder · · Score: 1

      You have a point.
      However based on what he did, and how poorly he did it, I seriously doubt he would be the "anal retentive trainer" you described.

      --
      First law of people: People are generally stupid.
    8. Re:When you read a story like this by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      I keep my VPN up permanently with a kill switch so that it fails safe.

      You'd be in the minority who's so afraid of downloading an episode of GoT that you'd gimp your internet connection to do it.

    9. Re:When you read a story like this by tsqr · · Score: 1

      The funny thing, at least to me, is that while soldering properly is an art form, it is rather easy to learn. A couple of YouTube videos, and a little practice and you are there. I learned to solder many many years ago from a former NASA employee who had worked on the Apollo project.

      You can't get a certification in soldering from YouTube. Or from a former NASA employee either, unless they're a certified trainer. But if you don't need the cert, I guess YouTube will do.

    10. Re:When you read a story like this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Story says he left on good terms to form his own company and they got into a start when negotiating contracts between them.

    11. Re:When you read a story like this by Major_Disorder · · Score: 2

      I had no idea there was a soldering certification. I guess I learned something new today.

      --
      First law of people: People are generally stupid.
    12. Re:When you read a story like this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Psssst, HBO Now is easy to activate / deactivate.

    13. Re:When you read a story like this by gnick · · Score: 1

      ...you'd gimp your internet connection to do it.

      I use PIA and it's fast enough to be transparent to me. GoT isn't the only reason to run a VPN.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    14. Re:When you read a story like this by msauve · · Score: 1

      Heck, they should sack the submitter for acronym abuse. "A Minnesota-based PoS repair shop?" Who really cares what happens to some Piece of Shit repair shop?

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    15. Re:When you read a story like this by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Not really, seems very much like a psychotic break brought on by age and business failure, revenge on all and sundry to repair a damaged ego in a particularly self destructive fashion, more like just a bit sad. Before pursuing a path of self destructive aggrandisement, consider some mental health counselling first. Ego should be the tool you use to attack others not the tool you use to attack yourself. To set yourself on a path of global reformation, you must first abandon ego and instead develop a wry sense of humour. PS nearly everyone is 'Anonymous', the invisible people, with no publicly recognisable face or name, still a voice though and when everyone and I mean everyone is reduced to nothing but another blogging channel (fuck main stream media and the egoist freaks they are definitely not 'Anonymous', heh, heh) a much louder voice than it used to be (no need to hack anything but the minds of the propagandists).

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    16. Re:When you read a story like this by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      I use PIA too, it is far slower than 200/40, which is why it isn't even remotely on all the time.

    17. Re:When you read a story like this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Best comment !!! So true

    18. Re:When you read a story like this by gnick · · Score: 1

      Maybe I was unclear. By "transparent", I meant it doesn't slow down my typical operations. General surfing, streaming music/video are unaffected. I'm not under the delusion that I'm not gimping my connection, I just prefer the benefits of using a VPN when it's not in my way. If I need bandwidth and I'm not doing something shady, there's always the option to turn it off. But I rarely do.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    19. Re:When you read a story like this by gnick · · Score: 1

      I posted that comment with the VPN down (I turned it off to do a bandwidth test). Wanna guess how much time I saved posting that comment with my improved connection? And that 128kbps from Pandora was just FLYING in.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    20. Re:When you read a story like this by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Dunno, you tell me, how much lag do you get playing games?

      "Typical" varies. Which is also why VPN use varies.

    21. Re:When you read a story like this by gnick · · Score: 1

      I play Words With Friends (on-line Scrabble). The lag isn't too crippling. If I needed bandwidth I'd claim it, but I rarely do. (Actually the only time my bandwidth is a limit is the same time the VPN is most important.) I don't think I need to preach the virtues of piping your traffic through a VPN here. Different priorities dictate different solutions.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    22. Re:When you read a story like this by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      No you don't. You do need to preach the virtues of piping ALL your traffic through, which is the original stupid point.

      I mean wouldn't want your government to know that you're opening SSL connections to www.slashdot.org now would we.

    23. Re:When you read a story like this by gnick · · Score: 1

      I could give a rat's ass about the government. I don't like being mined by my ISP.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    24. Re:When you read a story like this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't like being mined by my ISP.

      That is the only reason to keep a VPN up 24/7. And that's the only way to not be mined by your ISP.

    25. Re:When you read a story like this by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Point is the same. You fear all things equally including those inconsequential which are already covered by encryption. But really go your hardest, just know you're in the strange minority who VPNs all your traffic.

  3. The only way to get rid of all the evidence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    is to push the earth into the sun and then the sun into a black hole. But for most of us just being "Not an asshole" is good enough.

  4. Re:Typical misleading Slashdot headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Kennedy was a mob hit, and Oswald was Frankie Carbone.

  5. Sounds like a classic criminal fail by Koreantoast · · Score: 2

    Sounds like a classic criminal fail: they pull off some great crime or heist, but their pride drives them to somehow brag about it to the world, or at least rub it in the face of their victims. Ultimately, its that desire for recognition that leads to their downfall.

    1. Re:Sounds like a classic criminal fail by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Riddler had the same problem.

    2. Re:Sounds like a classic criminal fail by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Screw the Riddler and his stupid tropies. I quit playing Arkham Knight at the main ending. I don't have time to do a couple hundred pointless side quests to get the "real" ending.

  6. Justifed DDos by coinreturn · · Score: 2, Funny

    including his former employer, a Minnesota-based PoS repair shop.

    After all, it was a "Piece-of-Shit" repair shop.

    1. Re:Justifed DDos by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll bet they play "Piece of Shit Car" in the elevators there.

    2. Re:Justifed DDos by Megahard · · Score: 1

      So presumably they could repair one of these.

      --
      I eat only the real part of complex carbohydrates.
  7. "Without a doubt" by SirGarlon · · Score: 0

    The FBI was not only able to track the man's real IP address, but they also tied him to attacks without a doubt

    So in this story, we're supposed to believe what the FBI says? Are they the good guys or the bad guys this time? I can never keep track.

    I'm glad we trust their word so much there's no need to bother with a trial.

    --
    [Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
    1. Re:"Without a doubt" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good thing there won't be a trial then...

      where in the fuck did you get that idea? You're not guaranteed shit in the court of public opinion

  8. Looks more like a gopher than a mouse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It looks more like a gopher than a mouse to me, which seems relevant, given that this went down in Minnesota.

    I really wish that I didn't feel the need to point out stupid stuff like this. So what I'm saying is: don't worry, I hate my brain as much as you do.

    1. Re:Looks more like a gopher than a mouse by omnichad · · Score: 1

      From the Article: "The mouse image above is not the same that Gammell used in his emails."

      Of course you still have the fact that they're calling their bad example a mouse image...

    2. Re:Looks more like a gopher than a mouse by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      You didn't read TFA, they state at the very end:

      The mouse image above is not the same that Gammell used in his emails.

      I think you should blame Catalin Cimpanu, the author of that article, for that gopher image.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  9. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by HumanWiki · · Score: 0

    Trump level stupid.

    He has his name on buildings all over the USA.
    He has millions of dollars to his name.
    He's the president of the USA.

    Trump level stupid doesn't seem all that bad.

    You can think he's a sexist, a racist, a pig or just a bad president or even a lout mouth.. But, he's not stupid if he has all of that.

  10. Oh I see by whyyisthissohard · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So we can't have a story about the DDoS attacks on banks and we can only hear the real story mentioned once they have an example of some one they caught for being barely involved?

    I'm beginning to wonder if the media isn't one consolidated entity under the control of the banks and if law enforcement isn't similar....

    1. Re:Oh I see by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did you read the article? It goes into a lot of detail about the DDoS attacks, the services he used, who was attacked...

  11. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by DickBreath · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I think what you mean by Trump level stupid, is that this guy, like Trump, undermines his own interests by bragging about what he has done and gotten away with.

    Although I will agree it is Trump level stupid, this particular kind of stupid is actually a fairly common type of dumb criminal stupid.

    --

    I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  12. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by tattood · · Score: 2

    Trump level stupid.

    He has millions of dollars to his name.

    Allegedly...

    --
    WTB [sig], PST!!!
  13. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by gtall · · Score: 1

    If he's a lying sack of shit like his Commerce Secretary Ross (claimed to be worth a few billions, Forbes discovered he'd been lying for years and the max he could have is $700 million, and they aren't sure he has that), I doubt Trump is worth as much as his mouth said he was.

  14. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

    You are confusing marketing with intelligence. There is no correlation between the two.

    As attributed to P. T. Barnum

    "There's a sucker born every minute."

  15. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by gtall · · Score: 1

    Trump level stupid is beyond that, he cannot even recall the lies he's told in the past so he keep stepping on his crank. He cannot read through any of the legislation he supports so he's constantly contradicting the positions in that legislation. That's not just undermining his own interest, that's too stupid to realize he undermining his own interests. Hell, even attributing "interests" to him beyond honking on about himself seems ludicrous.

  16. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You are confusing marketing with intelligence. There is no correlation between the two.

    As attributed to P. T. Barnum

    "There's a sucker born every minute."

    So, if your marketing is so much worst than Trump's that you actually LOSE an election to him that was there for an easy win, how stupid do you have to be?

  17. "a Minnesota-based PoS repair shop" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I don't care if it was a piece of shit repair shop, that still doesn't make it right!

  18. Oswald might have been pirating a movie! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He would have been a hero to the Slashdot "imaginary property" crowd!

  19. The Tiers Of Suck by SuperKendall · · Score: 2

    First there came hackers, and they were good.

    Then came Script Kiddies, who did use the works of the Hackers, and they were kind of lame.

    Then did the Script Kiddies monetize the Hacks, and animated gif makers could enter the realm of wonder and system penetration with mere BitCoin, and these assholes made life hell for everyone.

    And it was The Suck.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  20. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please demonstrate how Trump is "stupid". At what time did he show that he is severely lacking in basic intelligence?
    Do you think someone with mediocre public speaking skills is stupid? Tell me, what is Stephen Hawking? Is he stupid, considering he cannot "speak in complete sentences"?
    Obama was notorious for stammering and saying foolish things without his teleprompter; are you trying to claim that he was stupid?

    You at no point present any evidence, or make a coherent argument. This obviously means you are "stupid", right, because one sample of something unrelated to intelligence is all it takes to make that determination, right?

  21. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by lactose99 · · Score: 2

    His computer's password? Swordfish

    --
    Fully licensed blockchain psychiatrist
  22. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    He immediately did not call out racist bigots for being just that, and tried to draw false equivalence with protesters of racist bigots.

    This alone makes him a complete fucking moron.

  23. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by sjames · · Score: 1

    Sure he is. Money attracts money. If you start out on 3rd base you'll do fine. If you're smart but start out with nothing, you face really tall odds to get anywhere.

  24. His troubles are only starting by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    When Disney hears he's been using a cartoon mouse, he'll be in even more trouble.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
    1. Re:His troubles are only starting by angelbar · · Score: 2

      Its prison time will be extended every 28 years

      --
      -no sig today-
  25. When oh when will someone... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Create a Max Headroom bot virus?

  26. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That just makes him either a racist, or just pandering to those who helped get him elected (or more likely, both).

    It also makes him an asshole. I'm not sure what would fit the definition of stupid, or moron.

  27. -o- by easyTree · · Score: 1

    ... without a doubt ...

    the phrase least likely to appear when there is certainty.

    --
    Requiem for the American Dream
  28. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please demonstrate how Trump is "stupid". At what time did he show that he is severely lacking in basic intelligence?

    How about the time he literally looked into the Sun?

  29. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So, if your marketing is so much worst than Trump's that you actually LOSE an election to him that was there for an easy win, how stupid do you have to be?

    Maybe they're both stupid?
    Why is any critique of Trump immediately met with "but..but..Hillary/Obama"?

    I thought Trump was supposed to be different, better, etc.

  30. Re: He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How about nearly everything he's done in his life... He may be able to rub a few brain cells together to lather up the type of people that think the Trump Brand is cool.

    But those of us with more than a few brain cells suspected he was an idiot before the time the Howard Stern was on public radii

  31. Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1

    I doubt Trump is worth as much as his mouth said he was.

    Of course not. If he actually had the amount he was saying then he would claim at least twice that. So it's impossible for him to have the amount he claims, no matter what it is.

  32. Small fortune by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How did Trump end up with a small fortune? He started out with a large fortune.