The Right-Wing Data Breach Keeps Widening

The data breach at web hosting company Epik, which infamously tried to keep internet cesspool 8Chan afloat after the Christchurch shooter posted his manifesto there, keeps getting worse, with a second round of leaks to the public being announced:

BREAKING: hacktivists with Anonymous release a second round of data from the Epik hack. A security researcher who was able to verify the extent of the leak to me described it as "a complete own." At over 300 gigabytes worth of data, this leak is larger than the first.

— steven monacelli  (@stevanzetti) September 29, 2021

Three hundred gigabytes of data released, including passwords, addresses, names, and even credit card numbers associated with right-wing operators and organizations. Entire disk images have been obtained: 

“Files are one thing, but a virtual machine disk image allows you to boot up the company’s entire server on your own, We usually see breaches with database dumps, documents, configuration files, etc. In this case, we are talking about the entire server image, with all the programs and files required to host the application it is serving.” 

This pretty much lays bare huge swathes of the online right-wing presence, exposing connections between organizers and the astroturf groups they funnel money to. This series of data breaches will be paying dividends to extremism researchers for years to come. Nothing like a proverbial solar flare to illuminate dark money!

The Grift Is Paramount

If you've been wondering why right-wingers are so invested in the use of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, neither of which has been proven to have any clinical use against COVID-19, the simple truth is that right-wing anti-vaxxers are making millions through online sales of these medications. Hackers provided information about America's Frontline Doctors, a group helmed by 1/6 insurrectionist Simone Gold. 

Besides being a classic example of affinity fraud, this is also an example of the 'hidden cures' conspiracy theory, the idea that all diseases could be cured if Big Pharma, the Illuminati, the Cabal, etc. weren't hiding them. Predictably, these 'cures' tend to be bleach, or black salve or ivermectin or turpentine. 

A vaccine paid for by the taxpayers and distributed without direct cost to the recipients? Can't have that, there's no cash to skim off the top!

WTF, DOJ?

Sometimes, I think that the DOJ just isn't doing a great job in prosecuting the 1/6 insurrection. I mean, what part of 'we want to shoot her in the brain' directed at a specific individual not constitute a threat?

Judge leans into Jan 6 defendant for “outrageous”, “disturbing”, “troubling” thing she said. And raises big warning flag for other defendants yet to face sentencing. My latest reporting ===> pic.twitter.com/A1tIf5YBKr

— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) September 28, 2021

I get the whole concept of prosecuting these hundreds of individuals for crimes and misdemeanors that can easily be proven, such as trespass, but there really needs to be follow-up prosecutions for more serious crimes. If the insurrectionists aren't punished severely, their failed coup is merely a practice run.

Predictable but Horrifying

I have been saying for a while that the anti-vaccine/anti-mask/anti-social distancing crowd is going to get violent, and that there would eventually be a mass shooting or bombing at a hospital. That hasn't happened yet, but this item (sure it's just a tweet, but I'll look for confirmation) marks a worrisome escalation if true, and I have no reason to doubt it:

Someone shot up my doctor's office in Pocatello Idaho. Another office also targeted. Someone angry about Covid vaccines & masks is suspected. It's really getting scary out there for HCW & I'm afraid someone is going to get killed. @pfannyyy @PeterHotez @audreydutton @davlinnews pic.twitter.com/xuZ1xvjcSv

— Ξ Karimala Ξ (@KarimalaKay) September 26, 2021

This incident occurred in a state which is overburdening its healthcare facilities, a state which is running out of morgue space. The right-wing in this country has devolved into a full-blown death cult, and I really don't think that the push towards mass violence is going to slow down, much less stop.

Corvids Are Comrades

There are pros and cons to the use of drones to deliver goods.  There are analysts who believe that automating delivery services for online retailers will hurt transportation workers, and online retail titan Amazon has a particularly bad reputation for mistreatment of workers.

In Australia, that drouthy Antipodean land that inhabitants of the Northern Hemisphere characterize as the haunt of particularly venomous critters, there has been pushback against delivery drones- in Canberra, ravens have been attacking drones used by the Wing delivery service, resulting in a suspension of deliveries.

 

As someone who regularly observes birds, I would venture to guess that this represents mobbing behavior- birds band together to harass larger birds.  I have seen crows mob hawks, and then in turn get mobbed by grackles.  

There might be another explanation though... ravens are corvids, the most intelligent of birds, and corvids are workers, capable of building fairly complex tools.  As workers, these ravens are countering drone deliveries in solidarity with human transportation workers whose livelihoods may be threatened by automation.  Corvids are comrades!

Harsh Critic

Have you ever had a critic who was so harsh they actually told you to stop writing? Well, that's how I interpret this:

It's that glance of disapproval which really drives the point home, really makes this criticism sting. Et tu, Ginger? Do I now have to evaluate all of my life choices? Luckily, I was able to buy her off with a saucer of milk. She's a harsh critic, but she is bribeable.

Audit A-Z

From the, as Tengrain puts it, Terrible Sand Kingdom of Arizonastan, we have the tale of the release of the Maricopa County election audit. An initial first draft did not look promising for the MAGA crowd:

The Arizona “audit” coming out tomorrow didn’t just confirm Biden won. Biden actually gained votes in their recount, while Trump lost hundreds, according to a draft report. https://t.co/vSflCtllni pic.twitter.com/9JuLNtYbeW

— Will Sommer (@willsommer) September 24, 2021

Yeah, the first draft of the 'audit' actually increased Joe Biden's margin of victory. If you can't trust an outfit named Cyber Ninjas, who can you trust? My suspicion is that the Cyber Ninjas decided not to claim that the election was fraudulent because they didn't want to go to Big Boy Prison for Big Boy Voter Fraud. They made their pile of money, why push their luck? Wonkette's Liz Dye noted that everying about the 'audit' is bullshit, and urged us not to take the bait, but I confess to having a masochistic streak. I've been following this shitshow, through official channels, and through the work of cybersecurity analysts:

Been relatively quiet today because I've been preparing for the AZ audit results tomorrow. I'll start live tweeting in a thread under this tweet when the event starts at 1PM MST/PST/GMT-7.

— TRAPEZOID OF DISCOVERY (@get_innocuous) September 23, 2021

On the outside, coverage of the MAGA response is the bailiwick of AZ Right-Wing Watch. A bunch of armed whackos showed up to the proceedings, including some of the 1/6 rioters. One particular insurrectionist was spotted, and hopefully someone will identify his ass. Meanwhile, in the online fever swamps, the denizens are howling for blood:

Over on the Twitter knock off Gab, followers of Arizona lawmaker and Oath Keepers member Wendy Rogers are posting messages about killing Maricopa County officials because of the "audit." pic.twitter.com/KzXrQBQexv

— Nick Martin (@nickmartin) September 24, 2021

The more passive QAnon weenies are tempering expectations, by downgrading the Big Boom they have been anticipating for months. All told, today was a shitshow, but an inconclusive one. The real action is taking place in state capitals, where GOP legislators are enacting voter suppression bills. The Cyber Ninjas' fraudit might have been an incompetent farrago, but real actors are using stealth and deception to accomplish similar goals.