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GhostShell, On the Record – Anonymous

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Dissent

This post is part of an extended interview conducted by DataBreaches.net and CyberWarNews.info with the hacker formerly known as “GhostShell.”

In talking about #OpRomania, GhostShell characterized Anonymous as a “flawed concept.” We asked GhostShell, who still considers himself a member of Anonymous, why he considers it a flawed concept. He explained:

To me there are two main sides in Anonymous. One of them is comprised of millions of individuals that band together under the same umbrella voicing their own opinions on different matters while the second one is made up almost entirely of feds, paid trolls, researchers, informants and entrapped hackers.

The first collective believes that Anonymous is not a group but an idea, that it doesn’t have any leaders or official voice. The latter is basically the exact opposite.

I’m sure you’ve noticed from time to time certain accounts telling others that this person or collective is “not the real anonymous”, “theyre not real anons”. Even in the media it’s being mentioned quite often.

For anyone that’s been to one of these networks they know already that in every op there are leaders running the op, there are those that handle the hacking and those that are forever present, never having or doing anything directly themselves instead just telling the ones that are, how to do it.

It’s the exact procedure as with building and entrapping separate hacker groups. You either follow in line or get out. And if you’re strong enough to stick and follow through with your op you’re going to be discredited publicly or obfuscated. “That’s not the real official anonymous!”. Because we all know you need the super ultra chocolate coated delicious badge of anonymous that proves you’re an official member of the official anonymous group.

Entrapment is the word of the day … it’s gotten to a point where Anonymous is synonymous with the FBI and other agencies both stateside and abroad. Once a hacker gets caught they’re “gone”, they’re no longer able to join and do ops unless they’re doing it for other reasons, but with the feds the problem is they’re always there. They don’t leave the scene they just multiply.

So I think there’s a flaw in both the concept and the execution. In the concept because hackers get caught and removed but the feds and co. remain in a continuous cycle of misinformation. And in the execution because most people get tricked by them into thinking and doing various things.

In a later conversation where we asked if feds had tried to recruit him, GhostShell commented more on entrapment:

 I’m pretty sure I lost count at how many times amerifeds and others tried to get me involved in different ops and projects and they even succeeded at times. You have to understand that the scene isn’t as big as people think and within it everyone knows everyone. It’s pretty hard to be a hacker and not get psyopd at least a few times.

Interview Topics:

  • #OpRomania
  • Anonymous
  • MalSec
  • “Team” GhostShell?
  • More on Snitches, the Feds, and the Scene
  • Why did he really disappear in 2013?
  • On criticisms of “simple” hacks
  • Psychological Factors
  • Difficulty Finding Work and Risk of Arrest
  • If You Knew Then What You Know Now….

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Category: Commentaries and AnalysesHack

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