Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
The hacker group LulzSec announced it has obtained a trove of leaked material from Arizona law enforcement agencies. The group says it's "releasing hundreds of private intelligence bulletins, training manuals, personal email correspondence, names, phone numbers, addresses and passwords belonging to Arizona law enforcement."
Why?
We are targeting AZDPS specifically because we are against SB1070 and the racial profiling anti-immigrant police state that is Arizona.
The group says the documents are classified as sensitive and not for public distribution. They're primarily related to border patrol and counter-terrorism operations and describe the use of informants to infiltrate various gangs, cartels, Nazi groups and protest movements.
The LulzSec announcement says that it's working to fight an "unjust 'war on drugs'."
So what do you think of these hacks? And how best to fight them? And if leaks are the future, how will their prevalence affect the way law enforcement agencies keep track of information?
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Oct '10
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
As an old hand in IT, one does not favor hackers as the main driving factor is basically a demonstrated ability to disrupt and make a political statement. Viable Data Security is always changing and very, very costly. The problem lies with the agencies themselves as they often have little grasp on this kind of Tech. And leave themselves open by not engaging in anything close to what is considered Best Practices. As that will put a big dent in the budgets and will have to be updated. Most State agencies have outdated systems and protections ad nauseum.
Even with the latest and greatest upgrades, there will always be someone able to hack it. Such is the cycle of data security today... Note, revise the inhouse system to IntraNet avoid Internet as that opens the door to all. There is more but that would bore you.
By example, how do you protect or backup important data ? Anyone ?
Edited on Jun 23, 2011 at 6:15pmMar '11
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
What I think of these hacks is that they are unconscionable. Some pimply-faced "freedom-fighter" gets to pass judgement on our laws and institutions from his mommy's basement? We try to track them down and prosecute them, not merely for the act itself, but for any consequences thereof. Did these jokers mess up an investigation? Then in addition to obstruction of justice, they can pick up accessories after the fact and maybe a conspiracy count or two. We need prosecutors that are both devious and imaginative. In a nice way.
As far as preventing such things, you can make the data more secure at the cost of making it a little harder for the legitimate users of the data to obtain access. Encryption is another option. If the "take" from the hack is unintelligible, that will limit the damage. All this costs money.
Nov '10
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
I back my computer up on hard drives connected by cable to my computer. Is that safe?
My own thoughts of such scoundrels is that they are traitors or spies and, if this is a war that we are fighting (about which I have some doubts), I'd execute them by firing squad. If it is less than a war, then long prison sentences would be my punishment.
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
One of the people I follow on Twitter is going through the documents. He says there's a listing of private information for judges, pictures of dead bodies, and memos about a group of Middle Eastern men behaving suspiciously on Washington State ferries. That last part is intriguing. Apparently the FBI sent out a memo about these chaps back in 2007.
Jan '11
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
What do I think of these hacks? They're despicable. Whatever one's opinion of the War on Drugs (I'm mixed) there are legitimate ways to support its end, and this doesn't qualify. Leaking identifying information about informants will get innocent people killed. I sure hope that if any member of LulzSec is brought to court, that the justice system treats them as someone who was willing to kill to advance their political agenda.
As for preventing this sort of issue, as wilber forge points out, effective data security is difficult and expensive. Not impossible, but it's just one of many concerns that agencies have to balance, so breaches will happen.
My take is that this is where law enforcement has to come in. Legislatures need to consider the applicable law and make sure that law enforcement has the necessary capabilities to investigate these actions, and that the penalties are commensurate with the seriousness of the crimes.
Jul '10
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
Why don't they do any hacking in the despotic regimes, the ones that murder, torture and imprison dissidents? Are there no crimes or secrets that need to be brought to light in those parts of the world? Does the left think the West is the only society hateful enough to warrant its sabotage?
Oct '10
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
Consider that hacking the systems of those regimes requires far more resources than what one thinks. Far and above the abilities of any random political activist here.
Jun '10
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
If our laws and institutions are so odious that pimply-faced freedom-fighters think it worth the effort to fight them, maybe there is something wrong with our laws and institutions. After all, our founders weren't exactly conformist.
Still, I agree that these people need to be held accountable. But only to the same extent that our law makers and enforcers are held accountable.
Jun '10
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
I am for anything that sheds light on the despicable acts of our law enforcement officials. We are subject to nonstop intrusion into every aspect of our daily lives, and liable to prosecution without notice. So should our civil master be held to the same standard.
A bonus is that illuminating the activities of these agencies can force a much needed house cleaning and improvement in procedures.
Finally, I do believe this is a war, and while I can admire the freedom-fighters, their fate if they are caught should be what they deserve. I can admire their cunning, respect their skills, and still not like them at all.
Oct '10
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
lol, the solution is easy. track down these hackers the way you track down terrorists and then have them executed. under obama, this will never happen, but under a republican admin it could.
Mar '11
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
Robert E. Lee
If our laws and institutions are so odious that pimply-faced freedom-fighters think it worth the effort to fight them, maybe there is something wrong with our laws and institutions. After all, our founders weren't exactly conformist.
Still, I agree that these people need to be held accountable. But only to the same extent that our law makers and enforcers are held accountable. · Jun 23 at 8:08pm
If the pimply-faced "freedom fighter" decides that at some point, you've made enough money, and hacks your bank accounts in order to achieve "financial justice," it will be those laws and institutions that you'll probably rely on for recourse. Or you could track him down yourself, go over there, and take it out of his hide. I'm ok with either, but the former is less work.
Edited on Jun 23, 2011 at 8:36pmJun '10
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
Percival
If the pimply-faced "freedom fighter" decides that at some point, you've made enough money, and hacks your bank accounts in order to achieve "financial justice," it will be those laws and institutions that you'll probably rely on for recourse. Or you could track him down yourself, go over there, and take it out of his hide. I'm ok with either, but the former is less work. · Jun 23 at 8:32pm
Edited on Jun 23 at 08:36 pm
I've tried going though governmental channels. Dealing with the VA is enough to give on PTSD if you didn't have it before. Taking it out of his hide might not only be easier, it might actually end up producing a productive citizen.
Mar '11
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
And how best to fight them? Disinformation
Oct '10
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
The hacker group LulzSec announced it has obtained a trove of leaked material from Arizona law enforcement agencies. The group says it's "releasing hundreds of private intelligence bulletins, training manuals, personal email correspondence, names, phone numbers, addresses and passwords belonging to Arizona law enforcement."
this is good news for the Cartels.
Jul '10
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
Enforcing immigration laws is a "despicable act"?
Feb '11
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
Put Joe Arpaio in charge of dealing with them.
(Written after Ricochet made me sign in three times.)
Sep '10
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
How about this.
The sentence is death (or 25 years whichever comes first). However, they can commute their sentence if they can write a coherent essay on why what their doing is for the public good.
So for example......"We are targeting AZDPS specifically because we are against SB1070 and the racial profiling anti-immigrant police state that is Arizona.", likely gets you the whole book.
Sure I know this sounds stupid, but my underlying cunning is that if they are totally vapid they should go under the jail for the greater good of me not having to ever hear their craziness. If however, they are coherent (an unlikely outcome) maybe they can be convinced that there are better ways than whatever this method purports to do.
Sep '10
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
But really,
Hacking of this sort is like bomb throwing of the Serbian or Militant Islam variety. Its aim is to destabilize government institutions through chaos and mayhem. It is not directly life threatening, but it is possible that lives can be lost. E.g. informants who are comprised. Even more so if they are successful at destabilizing the government they attack.
We have generally been very tolerent of this sort of hacking, (I think) seeing it as mischief from smart, well meaning (in their minds), and confused citizens that really does little real harm. This is not unlike the argument that Hamas' firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel is not such a bad thing because they very rarely hit anything.
I believe their intention however is nothing less than the destruction of legitimate, democratic institutions and should be dealt with pretty harshly. In other words it is no longer cute.
Edited on Jun 24, 2011 at 6:24amJun '10
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
Wylee Coyote
Enforcing immigration laws is a "despicable act"? · Jun 24 at 12:28am
NOT enforcing immigration laws is a despicable act. No, by despicable acts I mean law enforcement personnel breaking the very laws they are supposed to uphold for personal gain and pleasure. I'm not talking about the cop who stops a speeder and tickets them, I'm talking about the cop to stops a motorist and robs them.
Jul '10
Re: Arizona Law Enforcement Hacked, Informant Info At Risk
If nothing else they have drawn the ire of other hacker groups who think Lulz is nothing more than a bunch of kids with some scripts. We'll see where this goes.
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/06/23/hacker-vs-hacker-group-races-police-to-expose-lulzsec/?test=latestnews