Anon's social engineering war against Sony

[Da6s]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/04/anonymous-goes-after-sony-makes-it-personal-very-personal.ars

The hacker collective Anonymous has attacked Sony websites all week, taking them down intermittently in retaliation for Sony's federal lawsuit against PlayStation 3 hacker George Hotz ("GeoHot"). But in recent days, "Operation Sony" morphed from a standard website attack into something a bit more personal, as some Anons formed a separate "Sony Recon" mission and began tracking down corporate executives, their wives, the schools their children attend, and the shops at which they buy their flowers. And the way they obtain that information can be ingenious—and disquieting.

Gathering this sort of information is referred to as "doxing" or collecting "dox" on targets, and such data is usually collected and distributed so that others can use it "for the lulz"—amusement, legitimate protest, or harassment.

Public information sources, if properly collated, can supply a wealth of detail. For instance, when a Sony exec's address was located, it was the work of a few moments on local government websites to find out what he pays in taxes, how large the house is, and who lives next door.

When public information just won't do, a bit of social engineering can sometimes supply an answer. It was social engineering that played a role in the Anonymous attacks on HBGary, and some Anonymous operatives are quite skilled at exploiting others.

For instance, one of Sony Recon's key players decided to find the home address and phone number of Sony Computer Entertainment America head Jack Tretton, and he claims to have succeeded using a clever social hack. Here's how it allegedly happened, over four hours:

[LMNO]

While interesting, I feel that this kind of stuff crosses a line.

[Luna]

While interesting, I feel that this kind of stuff crosses a line.

Straight over the line to creepy stalker shit.

[E.O.T.]

While interesting, I feel that this kind of stuff crosses a line.

LIKE

[LMNO]

Not to mention, it's sloppy thinking.

Sony's CEO isn't the one bringing the lawsuit.  It's the cadre of lawyers they hire to keep tabs on their copyrights.  Anon should be finding ways of getting in there and fucking things up--deleting files, adding misinformation, leaking info.

By the way, that's also hella illegal, and no one should do that, ever.

[Richter]

While interesting, I feel that this kind of stuff crosses a line.

It's WAY out of line, distributing data on people's children just because of who they work for.  I can't see a good reason for anyone to want to know that.

[Luna]

While interesting, I feel that this kind of stuff crosses a line.

It's WAY out of line, distributing data on people's children just because of who they work for.  I can't see a good reason for anyone to want to know that.

Fixed.  Leave the kids alone, it's not their fault.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

While interesting, I feel that this kind of stuff crosses a line.

It's WAY out of line, distributing data on people's children just because of who they work for.  I can't see a good reason for anyone to want to know that.

Fixed.  Leave the kids alone, it's not their fault.

Yeah I agree.  You don't fuck with people's kids period.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Yeah, the problem with affiliating oneself with Anonymous is that people with shitty judgment and no ethical sense also affiliate themselves with Anonymous. 

[LMNO]

Where's Wise Beard Man when you really need him?

[Jasper]

Bringing kids into it is pretty evil minded.  Other than that, I don't particularly object to harshing corporate types just on general principles.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

I've honestly had few issues with most of what Anon has done and I have been actively involved in some of their endeavors here in St. Louis.  It's one thing to protest, it's quite another to start fucking with major corporations illegally.  I say that after having fully supported the hacking of the WBC site.  I could give two shits about those fuckers, but Sony, yeah they will come after you guns blazing.

I mean hell, yes the Scientologists might have killed, us but our kids were safe. The WBC may have protested or even prayed for our eternal damnation, but our kids were safe. Sony will fuck you up where even your kids won't be able to recover from it.

[Jasper]

If any corporation is as badass as you say it is, I'm inclined to hate them and want their CEOs fucked with even more.

Because there's only one thing I hate more than profit maximizers, and that's tyrants.

[LMNO]

Not the point, in this case.

Anon said they were doing this because of Sony's legal case against a hacker, not because Sony was a tyrannical company.

[Jasper]

General principles, LMNO.  I am bigoted against corporate entities.