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

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.

Comments

When you read a story like this

[Martin S.]

It tends to confirm the original sacking was probably justified.

Re:When you read a story like this

[gnick]

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.)

Re:When you read a story like this

[Major_Disorder]

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

Sounds like a classic criminal fail

[Koreantoast]

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.

Justifed DDos

[coinreturn]

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

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

Re:affiliated with the Anonymous hacker collective

[SirGarlon]

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

Oh I see

[whyyisthissohard]

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....

Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow

[tattood]

Trump level stupid.

He has millions of dollars to his name.

Allegedly...

"a Minnesota-based PoS repair shop"

[Anonymous Coward]

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

The Tiers Of Suck

[SuperKendall]

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.

Re:He emailed people he sabotaged to brag? Wow

[lactose99]

His computer's password? Swordfish

Re:His troubles are only starting

[angelbar]

Its prison time will be extended every 28 years