back to article Feds turn one in four black-hat hackers into snitches

One in four criminal hackers turn snitches under pressure from US authorities. The FBI and US Secret Service – the two lead agencies in the fight against cybercrime in the US – have used the threat of prison to create an army of informers, according to an investigation by The Guardian. A climate of mistrust has been sown among …

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  1. Version 1.0 Silver badge
    Happy

    This is how evolution works

    The weakest fail by the wayside and only the most cunning, suspicious hackers remain ... now well trained to leave behind nothing that can be tracked ...

    The mud elephant

    wading in the sea

    leaves no tracks

  2. David 66
    Stop

    meanwhile

    Govmint stools are committing massive crimes to maintain cover for their role. Burn some flags already.

  3. John Dougald McCallum
    Devil

    Boo Hoo

    Tough sh1te

  4. Matt Bryant Silver badge
    Happy

    ROFL!

    There is no honour amongst thieves, whether they be muggers or geeks in their Moms' basements.

  5. vonBureck
    Headmaster

    Pigeon, I think you'll find

    "Stool pidgin"? That would be a simplified language used to discuss excrement, then. Might be something to do with that cow crap methane article...

  6. DF118

    It's ok!

    Teh lulz will be worth it!

  7. null 1
    FAIL

    ..."25%"

    How can this article honestly claim this as a factual statement? A better headline would be "There is Unfounded Speculation That Feds One in Four Black-Hat Hackers Into Snitches." Of course, that's not a very good headline is it? That's because it's not even news!

    1. nyelvmark
      Happy

      Hi, null 1

      Welcome to the wonderful world of journalism.

      Have you noticed how the front page of your favourite newspaper is the same size, every day?

    2. Marvin the Martian

      Alternatively,

      "1 in 4 hackers finds gainful government employment."

      Ask Mitnick, it's a career path.

  8. as2003

    Interesting

    I can highly recommend reading "Kingpin" by Kevin Poulsen. A fascinating insight into this world.

  9. Buzzword
    Meh

    Beaten to it by China

    Isn't this what China is already doing? Every time a western company reports a cyber-attack, the Chinese government just shrugs its shoulders and says "not me guv", and blames some random hackers or criminals.

    Then again that's what spy agencies have always done - make acts of war look like ordinary crimes.

  10. mark 63 Silver badge
    Holmes

    more than 25%?

    Kevin Mitnick's estimate might be biased. I know its happened to him - with no pressure from the authorities, just for being nasty!

  11. Dennis Wilson

    And there's also.........

    "Owing to the harsh penalties involved and the relative inexperience with the law that many hackers have, they are rather susceptible to intimidation,"

    You forgot to mention the well publicised

    Kidnappings

    Tortured in prison for years with no trial

    Isolation from everyone but those that torture

    Trials in which the judges commanded the torturers

    Trials in secret

    Rigged subpoenas

    Rigged lawyers

    Rigged sentences

    Rigged deportations

    1. maclovinz
      Happy

      Nuther Day, right?

      Just another day in DC!

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Seriously ?

    Have you got any evidence of the above happening to hackers ? Or is just another comment by yet another 'conspiracy theorist' ?

  13. Pete 8
    Holmes

    Same method

    used to get politicans judges etc firmly seated on the fingers of the invisible hand, just like a glove, only hackers would usually be cheaper.

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