Meet the Guy Who Snitched on Occupy Wall Street to the FBI and NYPD

[meegbear]

Source: gawker.com



The Occupy Wall Street protests have been going on for a month. And it seems the FBI and NYPD have had help tracking protesters' moves thanks to a conservative computer security expert who gained access to one of the group's internal mailing lists, and then handed over information on the group's plans to authorities and corporations targeted by protesters.

Since the Occupy Wall Street protest began on September 17, New York security consultant Thomas Ryan has been waging a campaign to infiltrate and discredit the movement. Ryan says he's done contract work for the U.S. Army and he brags on his blog that he leads "a team called Black Cell, a team of the most-highly trained and capable physical, threat and cyber security professionals in the world." But over the past few weeks, he and his computer security buddies have been spending time covertly attending Occupy Wall Street meetings, monitoring organizers' social media accounts, and hanging out with protesters in Lower Manhattan.

As part of their intelligence-gathering operation, the group gained access to a listserv used by Occupy Wall Street organizers called September17discuss. On September17discuss, organizers hash out tactics and plan events, conduct post-mortems of media appearances, and trade the latest protest gossip. On Friday, Ryan leaked thousands of September17discuss emails to conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart, who is now using them to try to smear Occupy Wall Street as an anarchist conspiracy to disrupt global markets.

What may much more alarming to Occupy Wall Street organizers is that while Ryan was monitoring September17discuss, he was forwarding interesting email threads to contacts at the NYPD and FBI, including special agent Jordan T. Loyd, a member of the FBI's New York-based cyber security team.

Read more: http://gawker.com/5850054/meet-the-guy-who-snitched-on-occupy-wall-street-to-the-fbi-and-nypd

---

FYI

[JournalistKev87]

1. UGH!!

What scummy creeps! How does it feel to be the corportations' little bitches, you twatwaffles!

[dotymed]

40. It probably feels like he has a few extra (blood) dollars

in his pocket. It is so sad to realize what a person will sell their soul and reputation for. This is a perfect example of why unregulated capitalism is pure evil.

That person will never be respected by the people who bought him or the people he sold out. These people cannot appreciate the sacrifices that people across the world have made in the name of justice or equality.

Just in America, from Harriet Tubman and all of her helpers to the great coal miners in the Appalachia who just wanted to earn a living wage, be equal and not spend their lives toiling (hard) just to make the wealthy even wealthier. At this time in our history, as in other dark times, the people are standing and demanding that their existence count for more than money for those who take advantage of them.

Americans are supposed to be born with rights, among these are the right to seek life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That right is impossible when you have to spend almost all of your waking time trying to earn for and pay to the few who already have more wealth than they need and those following on their path.

It is not only Americans, in Europe, during the thirteenth century, a group of freedom loving people demanded rights from their monarch,through a declaration called the Magna Carta, unfortunately these rights were only granted to "freemen" and not the slaves and servants who suffered the most.

I pray that the world-wide protests that are happening as I write, will produce a new world. A world based on the rights and freedoms of individuals and an end to corporate domination. Unless we all stick together despite our varied lifestyles, this will never come to fruition. This POS is just doing the same thing that most of our supposedly "elected" officials have done.

We need to take money out of the equation, because the love of money will never be satiated. We speak of a "new paradigm" for life as we know it. There can not be a "new" paradigm as long as the age old "for profit" model is allowed to exist. It corrupts completely and always will.

edited for grammar and content

[roguevalley]

64. went to blog. couldn't find comment section. he needs outed big

time all over the world too.

[rasputin1952]

2. Why is it that all of these people look like they are part of a...

very small gene puddle?

This clown looks like the best job he could get is a doorstop.

[LiberalFighter]

75. He looks like the type that has illegal kiddy stuff.

[99th_Monkey]

3. Glad I hadn't just eaten dinner.

when I opened this, or I may well have "lost it".

Interesting calling themselves the "Black Cell" ... hmmm where have I heard that???

oh ya .. anything like a faux "Black Block" I wonder.

[Frustratedlady]

42. Blackwater? EOM

[DBoon]

51. The Black Hundreds"

"And so perished father's book. We were to see much of the Black Hundreds as the days went by. Week by week more of the socialist papers were barred from the mails, and in a number of instances the Black Hundreds destroyed the socialist presses. Of course, the newspapers of the land lived up to the reactionary policy of the ruling class, and the destroyed socialist press was misrepresented and vilified, while the Black Hundreds were represented as true patriots and saviours of society. So convincing was all this misrepresentation that even sincere ministers in the pulpit praised the Black Hundreds while regretting the necessity of violence."

- Jack London, "The Iron Heel", 1905

http://www.online-literature.com/london/iron-heel/11/

[ixion]

4. so when Anonymous hacks someone, it's bad, but when this clown does the exact same thing

it's okay?

:wtf:

Double justice standard anyone?

This is EXACTLY the type of corporate/government corruption and collusion that the Occupy Movement is protesting. These are free citizens expressing their First Amendment rights. This guy is the criminal for hacking into their mail server.

[Tesha]

8. Perhaps someone with standing should file the appropriate criminal and legal complaints?

After all, the NYPD isn't likely to do it!

Tesha

[ixion]

9. Not sure who you could file with...

He turned his work over to the FBI, and they're the ones who would investigate the charges.

[Tesha]

22. This might be a start; it's DOJ, but not the FBI.

http://www.cybercrime.gov/reporting.htm



Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section
United States Department of Justice

[stockholmer]

15. the new reality- ANYTHING that supports systemic control is a priori 'good', and ANYTHING that does

not, is a priori 'bad'.

Chilling effects abound, stabbed deep into the zeitgeist of the potential mass of 'rebels' (aka everyday citizens getting raped on so many levels they simply have shut down into a quivering mass of denialism).

:(

[Tesha]

23. That, of course, is why some of use were saying that beginning of ex-judicial assassination...

...isn't a good thing, even if it was aimed at
"bad guys".

Tesha

[stockholmer]

34. oh yes, I was horrified at that, a supreme abuse of power, and another tyrannical precedent set

[LiberalFighter]

76. Counter Black Ops is needed for creeps like this.

[caseymoz]

50. He apparently knows exactly how to get around the laws

And what actions he can and can't perform legally. Though he may slip up, he's professional.

I did warn in a post that the Occupy movement is going to be shod through with infiltrators, spies and provocateurs. So far, it's proving true. As the wealthy classes take this more seriously, expect more flagrant and professional work.

[lbrtbell]

57. You beat me to it - n/t

[xchrom]

5. Did he do the same for tea baggers?

After all they are anti government & believe in 2A remedies.

[xchrom]

6. huh -- and here's this on breitbart --

http://www.alternet.org/story/152745/andrew_breitbart%27s_pathetic_attempt_to_smear_occupy_wall_st._?akid=7721.277129.Ezs5hC&rd=1&t=5

Andrew Breitbart's Pathetic Attempt to Smear Occupy Wall St.

October 15, 2011 |

The last time Andrew Breitbart got any significant notice in the media was when he publicized the Twitter sexting of former congressman Anthony Weiner. It was a particularly repulsive bit of gossipy sensationalism that furthered no public interest, but ruined a man’s career (and possibly his family), just to satisfy Breitbart’s craving for attention and his obsession with destroying what he calls “the institutional left.”

That was four months ago and Breitbart must be getting antsy about having been ignored by the press ever since. Friday on his BigGoverment web site he has published an article asking his readers to comb through thousands of emails that he says are from OccupyWallStreet organizers. He claims to have acquired them from a “private cyber security researcher.” Breitbart provides links to download these emails so that his minions can scour them for evidence of “links to socialist, anarchist, and possibly even jihadist organizations.”

It’s not bad enough that right-wing media have attempted to portray the Occupy Movement as dirty hippies, lazy freeloaders, ignorant dupes, leftist traitors, godless heathens, diabolical Marxists, violent revolutionaries, and White House plants, Breitbart is adding Al-Qaeda terrorists to this list. If it wasn’t so dangerously provocative it would be moderately humorous. But Breitbart’s accusations are irresponsible and his activities may be illegal. The first paragraph of the story says…

[tblue]

7. Anonymous, if you're around, please work your magic here.

Don't let them hurt our foot soldiers. Please help them!

[stockholmer]

12. +10000 , you so read my mind

[nc4bo]

27. The rightwing is shitting their pants to be so desperate.

It really doesn't matter what they do from now on to discredit the movement. The movement has picked up steam and bears a populous message that crosses political lines.

IOW, the cat's out the bag and whatever dirty trick they think they can pull will be almost meaningless.

[starroute]

55. Anonymous has been aware of this guy for a while

I keep an eye on several Anonymous-related twitter feeds, and over the past several days I've kept seeing the name of this guy and his firm, though without any clear explanation of why he was a problem. So they're on top of it.

For example, last night @AnonyOps -- whose tweets are a good source of updates on OWS in general -- tweeted "@providesecurity didn't "snitch" on #OWS This is an end-around on anti-domestic spying laws. (& clearly political)"

I assume he meant "end-run around" but the implication is clear -- that this guy isn't actually an independent actor but is operating on behalf of people who are still restrained by law from doing this sort of thing officially.

Anonymous hasn't been particular visible at OWS, since the New York cops won't let them wear their Guy Fawkes masks, but they're totally there.

[davidwparker]

84. +1

[mnhtnbb]

10. J. Edgar Hoover would be proud...what a guy!

:sarcasm:

[LiberalFighter]

78. I'm assuming the sarcasm is for the last part and not the first part.

Cause Hoover would had been proud. Probably would had taken his clothes off an slid in it all.

[unionworks]

11. calling Anonymous

You guys know what to do. It's not like this bullshit wasn't expected. All they are doing is throwing gas on the fire.

[unionworks]

13. i wondered how long

It would take them to start paing the blackwater/Tim mcVeigh types to attack the movement. Not long, apparently :mad:

[sandyj999]

14. Looks as intelligent as good old Joe the Plumber, remember him?

Someone needs to take care of this and help "our people"!

[Mimosa]

83. Thanks! I was wondering who his face reminded of. LOL n/t

[cstanleytech]

16. If he obtained the info via an act of fraud and or computer hacking why hasnt the FBI arrested him?

[unionworks]

21. Let me take a wild ass guess...

.....wait, I have to concentrate first.....:hurts: ...uhh...uhhhh..... I GOT IT! Because they aren't even pretending to. Be impatial enforcers of the law anymore!

[cstanleytech]

52. Ya think?

:sarcasm:

[SpiralHawk]

17. Republicon Occultist black ops (R)

Occult activities are the Republicon core modus operandi.

[Enthusiast]

45. ...

[madrchsod]

18. it`s shocking that he and his buds were exposed so soon...

anyone who does`t think that they are being monitored and have people close who are rats needs to study history.

[stillwaiting]

19. Same as it ever was with the conservative movement. No Honor.

They will do ANYTHING to undermine and destroy our movement.

[wilt the stilt]

20. soon to be bald

already fat and dumb. what a way to go through life.

[Tesha]

24. Check out the URL on the image!

[Generic Other]

33. Occupy FBI?

Nasty piece of work. Lapdog for the 1%.

[chervilant]

25. Hey, bear,

haven't we seen this guy somewhere before? He looks awfully familiar. Does anyone know?

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

79. Somewhat resembles the thug at the Smithsonian...

...Air and Space Museum with Patrick Howley. It appears he is blocking for Howley so he can get in and complete his mischief.



<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/08/1024352/-Conservative-Magazine-Brags-of-its-Agent-Provacateurs-Role-in-Provoking-Police-Action-in-DC-?via=siderec>

[TomClash]

26. This probably violates a whole host of federal and state laws

with both criminal and civil penalties, starting with the Computer Security Act and the DMCA.

Wow. Can there be a better example of why OWS is right?

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[chervilant]

29. Wow...

A Google search of "Thomas Ryan" yielded this website, the very first link listed in the multiple pages (50) returned on this 0.08 second search (apparently, according to WhitePages.com, there are 2,457 individuals named Thomas Ryan in the US--according to PeekYou.com, there are 5402 Thomas Ryans). What do you have to do to get your link posted first in a Google search?

Here is Ryan's 'profile' from his Blogger.com page:

A 20-year security veteran, Thomas Ryan is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Cyber Operations and Threat Intelligence for Provide Security. The company was formed with the concept of the convergence of both physical and cyber techniques for Executive Protection, Advanced Red Teaming, Crisis Management, Threat Profiling, Threat Assessments and Penetration Testing. In his role, Mr. Ryan leads a team called Black Cell, a team of the most-highly trained and capable physical, threat and cyber security professionals in the world. Prior to founding Provide Security, Mr. Ryan had functioned as a security instructor for US Army INSCOM, USNORTHCOM, USSOUTHCOM and several other military and government agencies.

I'm just a little old lady, self-taught on computers. If I can find all of this information on Ryan, Anonymous will have a field day exposing this foetid pile to the light of day.

[unionworks]

32. resume padding

...is apparently one of his "hidden talents". I did contracting for both Army and Air Force, I did NOT turn into Jason Bourne. Apparently this bloated turd thinks he did. A legend in his own mind.

[unionworks]

30. this guy is an amatuer

What he did didn't really take a whole lot of expertise. And he named his "firm" roughly after a Tom Clancy novel. "Black Cell", huh? Woooooooo, scary! Another bunch of wannabe commandos on Turner Diaries fans.

[chrisa]

48. You can tell he's an amateur because he's bragging about what he did.

The incompetent can never keep their mouths shut.

He's just another right-wing idiot like Breitbart. I bet half of what this guy says isn't even true.

[reACTIONary]

72. Exactly. Violates rule 1 and 2 --- Complete Fraud (nm)

[Mimosa]

82. That's what my ex-Army Intel buddy said. n/t

[iamthebandfanman]

62. exactly.

im really getting tired of all these lame wanna be hackers doing stupid tricks to each other and claiming to be computer gods.

its sad.

btw, this guy doesnt have anybodys name from anonymous... hes just scared and thinks thatll keep people from trying.

hes a conservative, so we know he lies alot right off the bat.

[TownDrunk2]

31. this bozo

"a team of the most-highly trained and capable physical, threat and cyber security professionals in the world."

Does this Chris Christie wannabe think he's affiliated with Anonymous? What a joke, remember what happened to the last carnival barker who tried to assert his superiority in the computer hacking arena...

[unionworks]

36. LMAO

The circus is in town. :popcorn: :popcorn: :rofl:

[unionworks]

70. thanks D.B.

For putting this asshat into perspective. "Most highly trained in the world", huh? Just for S&G. I'd love to see his merry band of posers encounter a real NSA black team, so I could lmfao watching him get his fat ass handed to him in shrink wrapped tiny packages.:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Yon_Yonson]

35. Thomas Ryan has a big forehead and it would show a black ‘T’ for traitor very well

During my 5 day stay in DC with October 2011 there was a guy walking around in the wee early hours taking pictures in the dark with a flashless camera. An obvious infiltrator and that is expected because the only way the cops and military can operate is with spies.

[civilisation]

37. ego much,. guy thinks him powerfull, .

"Anonymous will have a field day exposing this foetid pile to the light of day." Nice ;)

[AlbertCat]

38. the group gained access to a listserv used by Occupy Wall Street organizers...

Hey... I thought they weren't organized or had a coherent message. I thought they were just a bunch of pot smokin' hippies.

Why all this macho covert infiltration? Huh?

:eyes:

Sounds like these big tough boys are scared to death of the OWS "hippies".

[newfie11]

39. Betcha he is employed BY the government to do this

It seems there are no bounds to what the CIA/FBI or any other agency can do.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

41. Mulitple duplicate post from yesterday and today

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=2124074&mesg_id=2124074

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=632495&mesg_id=632495

[Warren Stupidity]

43. Let me take a stab at the STUPID here.

The organizing around OWS is pretty much open. This is an open source movement. The movement is based around democratic (small d) principles, free association, open consensus based decision making etc. The "infiltration" is all in Tommy Ryan's pea-sized brain. He snuck into an open discussion and spilled the beans. Oh my! We are devastated.

[SHRED]

44. Paging "ANONYMOUS"

[ThatsMyBarack]

46. WAMPOS

White Alpha Male Piece of.... :mad:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

47. Clearly the little shithead isn't making $ with his little 'puter security business

And he's gone into the sabotage business. We need to spread this asshole's sabotage far and wide. I've already sent this info to my family and friends.

"Thomas Ryan is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Cyber Operations and Threat Intelligence for Provide Security" <== that's from his website.

[DBoon]

63. Ryans's "Provide Security" info.....

http://www.linkedin.com/company/provide-security

He's got an intern and a "partner", neither of which provide their full last names. No customer references (even sanitized), no toher info, looks liek a shoestring organization.

http://www.manta.com/g/mtgph1l/thomas-ryan says he has 2 employees and revenue of $130,000 (no doubt self-reported)

His personal page is http://www.linkedin.com/in/tommyryan

His certifications include a CEH and a Security+, both of which I consider to be entry-level certs and are not indicative of a great depth of technical knowledge

His interests include:

Paintball, Music, Hacking, Training, Drag Racing, NASCAR, Skiing, Social Engineering, Reverse Engineering, Security, Shooting, Military, Intelligence

His main claim to fame is inventing a fake persona, Robin Sage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Sage

He parlayed this experiment in social engineering into a talk at the BlackHat conference and gathered a lot of media attention for it.

I think he is a petty con artist with no technical chops whatever

[Sarah Ibarruri]

71. "I think he is a petty con artist with no technical chops whatever"

In other words, he's the perfect GOP employee.

[morningglory]

49. Maybe Andrew Breitbart got his wish. It is being brought on.

You look forward to it, right? There are more of you and you have all the guns. Right, Andrew. These protests must make you very happy.
But why does Breitbart worry about the protests? I just can't figure it out...

[haydukelives]

53. K&R

Interesting sig line

[DBoon]

54. Here's his blog:

http://www.thomasryan.net/p/my-profile.html

I wonder how many more characters like this have been hatched by the military-industrial security complex?

[DBoon]

59. AND the guy (if the same as this) works for Breitbart

and is claiming Al Queda supports OWS

http://ology.com/politics/andrew-breitbart%E2%80%99s-big-government-investigates-occupy-wall-street-linked-al-qaeda

I'm old enough to remember similar false claims about the Anti-War movement in the 1960s/70s - where police plants concocted stories of communist governments leading anti-war protests

This fellow is DANGEROUS!!

[kestrel91316]

66. Pointing fingers at OWS and claiming an Al Qaeda connection

could get somebody KILLED in this political climate. He is attempting to get protesters labeled terrorists and killed.

[unionworks]

69. nahhh.

Almost any forieg power hostile to U.S. interests will "support" anything that gives TPTB a headache. Doesn't mean they are providing material support. Just more grist for the Murdoch propoganda mill. Actually Murdoch represents one of the biggest threats to the stability of our society. They figured this out in the U.K.. Holder needs to get on it before it's too late.Re

[harmonicon]

56. If it's not an anarchist conspiracy to disrupt global markets, I'm disappointed.

That's something that I'm all for.

[abelenkpe]

58. I don't understand

Was he paid to do this? Is he trying to get a job? Why would he be interested in protecting corpoations, bankers and wall street. They aren't the US. If he was military isn't his job to protect and serve the country and it's citizens?

[bigworld]

60. Total wannabe. Real intelligence ops and spies don't go 'round bragging about it.

What a poseur.

[JNelson6563]

61. He could be helpful in my research, I'm writing a book.

The working title is: Eight Places to Beat a Man and Not Leave a Mark. :)

Julie

[Beaverhausen]

65. so what exactly was he trying to find anyway?

I'm sure little Andy B will make shit up about what was found, but I can't imagine OWS has anything to hide.

[tularetom]

67. If he's doing this to impress girls my guess is it ain't gonna work

[unionworks]

68. watch out, 007!

This guy is a super-duper double nought spy! I'll bet he gets sent on all kinds of black ops missions- like mowing Breitbarts lawn and scrubbing the shitstains out of Rupert Murdochs toilet bowl! :patriot: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[reACTIONary]

74. I bet he has an "attache case" to keep his secret computer in!

[PatrynXX]

73. OWS = Government Tea Party = anarchists

anarchists are not left wing. bout as brain dead as calling Liberals Nazi's...

[Iggo]

77. Is that 'Black T-shirt Guy' from them other vids and pics?

[unionworks]

80. don't think so

"Black T shirt guy has been tenatively IDed as an ahole from New Jersey who was also involved in smearing Weiner. COINCIDENTALY, New Jersey is also where prosecutions for the hackiing of 911 victims phones took place. Smells like Rupert.

[Electric Monk]

81. Linky to another large thread on this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=2124074&mesg_id=2124074

[drm604]

85. It sounds like all he did was access a bunch of publicly accessible information.

I don't think there's much, if anything, that's secret about the OWS movement. He signed up to a public listserve and accessed some public websites. I think the FBI and the NYPD could have managed that on their own, and probably did. Sounds like he thinks he's a lot more important than he is. Let's not feed his overblown ego.