If you’ve been following me (on Twitter) for a while, you undoubtedly know that I have a keen interest in social media and its use in supporting hacktivism activities. In January I added @th3j35t3r to my watch list. The Jester systematically launches (what look like DDOS) attacks against sites that support radical Jihadism, taking them down for 30-60 minutes at a time. He quickly garnered the support of many, especially those loyal to the US.
As @th3j35t3r began to attract media attention, interviews were inevitable. During one interview, he was asked to demonstrate his capabilities live. He picked a target and pressed a button. The Interviewer checked the target’s website and it was down. The Jester clicked his keyboard again and the target’s website was restored. The attack lasted just 10 seconds, attracting little attention by the target – the UK arm of a very major US bank.
The Jester’s bio reads “Hacktivist for good. Obstructing the lines of communication for terrorists, sympathizers, fixers, facilitators, oppressive regimes and other general bad guys.” Most of his followers are pro-Israel, pro-US, and anti-radical Islam. It’s easy to support someone who is “sticking it” to the enemy, especially when major world governments appear (to the masses) unable to slow the growth of radical Jihadists, much less shut them down completely.
So why did @th3j35t3r target the bank during his interview – it clearly isn’t “the enemy”, at least not by the standards he’s set in his online bio. And it clearly doesn’t “fit” with his usual targets. Easy – he picked it purely for dramatic effect – a publicity stunt to garner more attention, not to his cause, but to himself.
The Jester fits the criminal profile of a Lone Actor. Lone Actors are dangerous for many reasons, but mostly because they are accountable to no one – making them unpredictable at times. They often take a narrow view of things. The “big picture” is lost to the power of the ego. True to form, @th3j35t3r recently launched a surprise attack against the WikiLeaks’ website (hosted by Amazon). This attack garnered him the exposure he wanted. His followers grew by the minute, as did his detractors. And the media came – just like he wanted.
Next time, we’ll talk about why the US Government isn’t pursuing the hacker it has known about all year, and why that’s a problem for us all.
