Fallout begins for far-right trolls who trusted Epik to keep their identities secret

[lanlady]

Source: Washington Post

The colossal hack of Epik, an Internet-services company popular with the far right, has been called the “mother of all data lodes” for extremism researchers. Some of those named in the data have already lost their jobs.

In the real world, Joshua Alayon worked as a real estate agent in Pompano Beach, Fla., where he used the handle “SouthFloridasFavoriteRealtor” to urge buyers on Facebook to move to “the most beautiful State.”

But online, data revealed by the massive hack of Epik, an Internet-services company popular with the far right, signaled a darker side. Alayon’s name and personal details were found on invoices suggesting he had once paid for websites with names such as racisminc.com, whitesencyclopedia.com, christiansagainstisrael.com and theholocaustisfake.com.

The information was included in a giant trove of hundreds of thousands of transactions published this month by the hacking group Anonymous that exposed previously obscure details of far-right sites and launched a race among extremism researchers to identify the hidden promoters of online hate.

After Alayon’s name appeared in the breached data, his brokerage, Travers Miran Realty, dropped him as an agent, as first reported by the real estate news site Inman. The brokerage’s owner, Rick Rapp, told The Washington Post that he didn’t “want to be involved with anyone with thoughts or motives like that.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/25/epik-hack-fallout/

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I have to say I'm really surprised that the Epik hack (reported earlier this week by the Washington Post) hasn't received more attention on DU or other progressive sites. Rachel hasn't mentioned it on her show. It's a huge deal. We should all be celebrating!

[brush]

1. Thanks for posting. I hadn't heard about it.

[lanlady]

2. Link to the original story

brush, here's a link to the original story published earlier this week. I hope you have access to it, it's pretty amazing:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/21/epik-far-right-hack-anonymous/

[AZLD4Candidate]

3. There aren't enough onions or horseradish in the world to make me shed on tear for them

[EYESORE 9001]

4. It's a lot to digest

It’ll take time to pan for the flakes of gold in that mountain of data. I’m glad to see this real estate shithead get outed.

[pwb]

5. That was Anonymous right?

That was discussed here. It was a good thing. Anonymous is great when you piss them off. Cable is against us for some reason. I think it is with no War they are fucked for viewers so they are all attracting the stupid now. Most see them for what they are and it is not news.

[BlueWavePsych]

6. A treasure trove for the FBI

[msfiddlestix]

27. Yeppers, if only they will take advantage of what they have been gifted with.

[traitorsgalore]

7. Here's a link not behind a paywall

https://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=33504158

[Tommymac]

9. Thanks!

[durablend]

8. Womp womp

Maybe Mr. Alayon can get a job at McDonalds

[Journeyman]

10. Epik's founder, Robert Monster...urged people not to use (the hacked data) with "negative intent."...

Just gonna leave all that here for others to digest.

[Grokenstein]

12. WOW. Glad I wasn't drinking anything when I read *that.*

...Wait, dude's named "Robert Monster"? Seriously?

[rpannier]

13. I wouldn't use it with negative intent

That would mean I was suppressing it
Positive intent is releasing everything I have

[BadGimp]

17. He goes by Rob, and he's a very smart and effective guy.

I can't speak to his personal ideology, or what he knew about what some of his customers were up to, but he is very bright and capable.

I used to work in the internet domain industry and interacted with him on several occasions.

It might be that his Libertarian leanings caused him to walk into some deep right-wing waters far too deep and for too long. I really don't know.

[hatrack]

33. Not so sure - if he's "smart and effective" he would have had better security on his systems . . .

Not my world, though.

[Missn-Hitch]

24. Well bless his heart. We know what they would (and will) do if the tables were turned.

[calimary]

31. Oh for Pete's sake...

[twin_ghost]

11. LOL! Privacy & Internet Security are a Myth in the 21st Century.

Maybe by the 22nd Century it will return!

[GoneOffShore]

19. Don't be so sure of that. It will only get worse.

If you want to walk through one scenario, read 'Gnomon' by Nick Harkaway. Published in 2017, it's a novel set in the UK sometime later this century, where it is impossible to escape surveillance.
Harkaway has also written on technology issues.

[Slammer]

25. 1984

Wasn't that written in 1984?

[GoneOffShore]

26. Orwell's book was published in 1949.

[PatSeg]

20. Maybe in a 22nd century alternate universe

I think it will only get worse in this one.

[summer_in_TX]

14. I've been waiting for heads to begin to roll.

I hope every bit comes out and that consequences follow from all that is revealed!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

15. Sucks to be them

[BadGimp]

16. Not enough people understand enough, and this is just the beginning.

Things will get interesting when more names and details surface.

[KT2000]

18. Every day I have checked

for any revelations from the hack. The extremism researchers need time to go through it all.

[PatSeg]

21. I am surprised it hasn't been bigger news as well

I saw it mentioned briefly once this week, but I wasn't really sure what it was all about.

[empedocles]

22. Huge deal for investigators. Great to know that

[Missn-Hitch]

23. Indeed. I can't wait for the nerds to break it down and repackage it. I want to look for names.

[godfree2]

28. Monster & GAB's Torba are chronic liars

hope the money laundering is exposed

[usaf-vet]

29. ///\

[Initech]

30. I'm normally against doxing, but time to expose the hell out of these assholes!

They've done way too much damage to our society for them to be able to live anonymously.

[NurseJackie]

32. It's just simmering on the back burner...

... in time, it will start to render.

[ck4829]

34. K&R