Author Archives: Aaron 'BingoBoingo' Rogier

Internet Service Providers Stripping STARTTLS Flag

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According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation a number of Internet Service Providers are stripping the STARTTLS flag from their customer's email sessions. STARTTLS is a protocol that encrypts emails between origin and destination servers, but leaves the plaintext contents of email completely accessible on the servers. The property of STARTTLS which allows ISPs to deny their customers to use it is explicitly baked into the protocol. Continue reading →

Irish Independent: Onymous Suspect Related to Footballer – Retracted

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Story was retracted by source

The Irish Independent reports that one of the suspects arrested in the Irish contribution to Operation Onymous is related to Dublin Footballer Paul Mannion. Neil Mannion along with Richard O'Connor, who is not known to have a sibling of great athletic merit, are charged with possession of ecstasy with intent to sell or supply. Continue reading →

Bulgarian SNAS Release on Operation Onymous

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A number of interesting tidbits come out of the Bulgarian State Agency for National Security press release on Operation Onymous.

  • 129 of the Tor hidden services closed were located in Bulgaria
  • Three persons were arrested in Sofia, and from them were seized 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, 5 mobile phones, SIM cards, and a sum of money
  • In Plovdiv a Turkish National was allegedly detained with 40 kilograms of heroin spread over 78 packages, and the investigation continues in the case as another person is suspected of assisting.
  • Bulgarian official offered an exchange rate for the Lev which values 100,000 Lev at 1 kilogram of heroin.

Florida Man Arrested for Online Drug Trading

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The Tampa Bay times reports that Florida Man, Ronald Delaet, allegedly bought drugs from the Internet and resold them. Law Enforcement reportedly found "hundreds" of postal receipts and was able to intercept 5 packages in transit. The local paper's report singles out allegations by police that he sold a bottle of fentanyl nasal solution to a 17 year old who is supposed to have told his mom he planned on using it to overdose. Given the early involvement of Law Enforcement in developing SilkRoad 2.o it is likely that reports of similar arrests will continue for some time.

National Bank of Ukraine: Bitcoin Not to Be Used for Payments

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There are reports that the National Bank of Ukraine has issued a directive on its Facebook page banning not recognizing the use of Bitcoin for payments within the country. It remains to be seen if other States will begin following Ukraine's lead and begin issuing missives via Facebook post, as well as to what extent the National Bank of Ukraine can actually prevent Bitcoin payments from happening within their borders during a time where Ukrainian borders seem to be undergoing revision.