Dark Angel with Righteous Wings

[Bleeding Edge]

In a recent Vanity Fair article, you can read about how a young teenager, who started AntiOnline.Com (http://www.antionline.com), went from being an enthusiastic hacker to someone the Department of Defense, the Army, the Air Force and police departments call upon to track down hackers.

When the FBI placed a call earlier this year, to a two-man web site (a house along the [“decaying”] Ohio River town of Beaver, Pennsylvania), to help identify the person or persons responsible for the break-ins at Yahoo and eBay, the call was to John Vranesevich. The now 21yr old, who has “yet to enter a bar.” -as his mom puts it.

The article describes the events that unfolded to change his perspective of his view of hackers and the state of hacking. Of the Internet’s underground of lost teenage wizkids being used by others with more terroristic goals. Hateful hackers who see him as a narc and betrayer making threats to him and upon his family. His teenage sister’s photo and address posted on a web site as an open invitation for rape…

Words he spoke that we’ll never have to speak, “Uh..Mom? ….I think that guy Khalid Ibrahim wants to kill me.” Words no mother should hear. (During the epsiode of tracking stolen Pentagon software.)

The article is very interesting, to say the least, and worth the effort to go out and buy the magazine. It is in the June 2000 issue of Vanity Fair. There are photos of him and his partner Brad Davis. Unfortunately, there are pictures of him in form of Wanted posters at hacker sites.

“Of demons and idiots, and dark angels with wings.” -B.E.



[This message has been edited by Bleeding Edge (edited 05-20-2000).]

[psyklone]

i used to respect jp and the anti-online 'community' up until he somehow got mixed up with that worthless bottom feeder, carolyn meinel. i don't even bother going there anymore. jp's a pretty bright guy, though, and apparently a pretty good kid.

<disclaimer edit>
the opinions expressed in this post are solely mine and in no way reflect the opinions nor sentiments of the members of this board, sysopt, earthweb, etc, etc.

[This message has been edited by psyklone (edited 05-20-2000).]

[Bleeding Edge]

yeah...they mentioned Carolyn. Something in her book started a feud with her, and, Martin and H.F.G.

What it looks like to me is she was looking for someone to champion her and somehow brought JP into the mess...

and as he's quoted as saying, "This just goes on and on."

[This message has been edited by Bleeding Edge (edited 05-20-2000).]

[psyklone]

well that's not the only feud she's ever started, nor the first backs she's ever stabbed. she does it for a reason. she poses as a computer expert and consultant and even has the nerve to call herself a hacker, which is something that people call you .. you don't have to give yourself the 'title'. and the worst part is, if you ever read any of her technical documents you'll know she's clueless. don't bother perusing through the older ones because those have been (mostly) edited for reality after she's been flooded with corrections from people who actually know what their talking about. it's entertaining reading, nonetheless. she's actually also a wannabe writer which would probably have a lot to do with some of the feuds she's caused and fire's she's kept burning. where better to get a break into the publishing mainstream than to have the inside scoop on what wars are going on in the packet-riddled underground? it actually makes a lot of sense and it's probably one of the smartest things she's ever done ... but i still loathe the woman and everything she stands for.

for the record, let me restate ... i still think john's decent.

[Bleeding Edge]

I don’t know her nor have I read much about her or her writings, but I immediately got that impression she was creating situations in which she could dig out the basis of a good story, in order to ultimately, gain fame and collect as much coins that get tossed her way.

Whether its greed or some other dark side of our human nature that makes us want and do these things in our fleeting lives…. … .. . We know it’s a sin to fuel fires that cast such devious shadows with it’s irreverent light but it ought to be a crime to keep that type of fire burning as she seems to do.

-B.E.