Hackers Threaten To Dump Secret 9/11 Attack Files If Bitcoin Ransom Not Met

[Swordsmyth]

A hacking collective known as The Dark Overlord announced on New Year's Eve that it had broken into the computer systems of a law firm and obtained files related to the September 11 attacks - threatening to publicly release a large cache of internal files unless a hefty ransom was paid, according to Motherboard (https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/yw79k5/hacker-group-threatens-dump-911-insurance-files-dark-overlord).
https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/hacker%20info2.png
Dark Overlord's demands targeted several insurers and legal firms, including Lloyds of London, Silverstein Properties and Hiscox Syndicates. It is unclear what exact files were stolen by the group, however the hacking collective tweeted "We'll be providing many answers about 9.11 conspiracies through our 18.000 secret documents leak from @HiscoxComms and others."

We'll be providing many answers about 9.11 conspiracies through our 18.000 secret documents leak from @HiscoxComms (https://twitter.com/HiscoxComms?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) and others #thedarkoverlord (https://twitter.com/hashtag/thedarkoverlord?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) #911hacked (https://twitter.com/hashtag/911hacked?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) #hacking (https://twitter.com/hashtag/hacking?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) #leak (https://twitter.com/hashtag/leak?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) #cybercrime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/cybercrime?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
— thedarkoverlord (@tdo_h4ck3rs) December 31, 2018 (https://twitter.com/tdo_h4ck3rs/status/1079803540472705024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) "Hiscox Syndicates Ltd and Lloyds of London are some of the biggest insurers on the planet insuring everything from the smallest policies to some of the largest policies on the planet, and who even insured structures such as the World Trade Centers," the group's announcement reads.
According to a spokesperson for the Hiscox Group, the hackers had breached a law firm which advised the company and had likely stolen files linked to litigation tied to the 9/11 attacks.
"The law firm’s systems are not connected to Hiscox’s IT infrastructure and Hiscox’s own systems were unaffected by this incident. One of the cases the law firm handled for Hiscox and other insurers related to litigation arising from the events of 9/11, and we believe that information relating to this was stolen during that breach," the spokesperson told Motherboard in an email.
"Once Hiscox was informed of the law firm’s data breach, it took action and informed policyholders as required. We will continue to work with law enforcement in both the UK and US on this matter," they added.

The hacking group published a small set of letters, emails and other documents that mention various law firms, as well as the Transport Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Aviation Administration (The TSA could not provide a statement in time for publication, and the FAA told Motherboard in an email it was investigating.) Those documents themselves appear to be fairly innocuous, but the group says it may release more.
In its extortion note, The Dark Overlord included a link for a 10GB archive of files it allegedly stole. The group also provided a link to this archive to Motherboard before publishing its announcement. The cache is encrypted, but the hackers are threatening to release the relevant decryption keys, unlocking different sets of files at a time, unless the victims pay the hackers an undisclosed ransom fee in Bitcoin. -Motherboard (https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/yw79k5/hacker-group-threatens-dump-911-insurance-files-dark-overlord)
"Pay the fuck up, or we're going to bury you with this. If you continue to fail us, we'll escalate these releases by releasing the keys, each time a Layer is opened, a new wave of liability will fall upon you," reads the demand letter.
The hacking collective is also offering to sell the data on the dark web hacking forum, and has reportedly attempted to blackmail individuals mentioned in the documents themselves.
"If you're one of the dozens of solicitor firms who was involved in the litigation, a politician who was involved in the case, a law enforcement agency who was involved in the investigations, a property management firm, an investment bank, a client of a client, a reference of a reference, a global insurer, or whoever else, you're welcome to contact our e-mail below and make a request to formally have your documents and materials withdrawn from any eventual public release of the materials. However, you'll be paying us," reads the post.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-01/pay-fck-hackers-threaten-dump-secret-911-attack-files-if-bitcoin-ransom-not-met

[Zippyjuan]

Nice guys.


Last year, the Dark Overload leaked stolen Orange is the New Black episodic content from Netflix last year after the entertainment company refused a Bitcoin ransom demand. The malicious actor has also threatened to leak medical records — including celebrity plastic surgery images lifted from a U.K. firm — and has even threatened to physically harm school children, sending educational districts and local parents emails containing stolen personal information on local kids.

https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/dark-overlord-rings-in-new-year-with-threat-to-release-9-11-related-docs-pilfered-from-law-firm/

[Swordsmyth]

Nice guys.



https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/dark-overlord-rings-in-new-year-with-threat-to-release-9-11-related-docs-pilfered-from-law-firm/
That won't make it a bad thing if they expose some truth about 9/11.

[Zippyjuan]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/dark-overlord-hackers-text-death-threats-to-students-then-dump-voicemails-from-victims


‘Dark Overlord’ Hackers Text Death Threats to Students, Then Dump Voicemails From Victims

Earlier this week, the Johnston Community School District in Iowa closed several of its schools, after parents received text messages threatening to harm or kill their children, according to multiple local media reports. Now, a group of hackers, who have traditionally tried to extort money from targets through blackmail or intimidation, has claimed sending the messages and has released a set of alleged voicemails seemingly from affected students and concerned parents.

Although it’s not totally clear if this new incident is part of an extortion effort, the news signals an unusual, and worrying, tactic when it comes to cybercriminals: making direct threats against children. Authorities believe those threats don’t appear to be genuine.


“We’re escalating the intensity of our strategy in response to the FBI’s persistence in persuading clients away from us,” someone from the hacking group, called The Dark Overlord, told The Daily Beast.

The Dark Overlord has previously tried to extort Netflix after hacking a production studio. The group started in mid-2016 by targeting a slew of medical centers across the U.S., before moving on to a number of private companies, such as commercial adhesives manufacturer Gorilla Glue. Since around last month, the group has shifted focus to schools, and threatening messages caused dozens to close for days at a time.

Often the group will hack a target and demand some sort of ransom payment in exchange for not distributing any stolen data. Then, The Dark Overlord may approach media outlets with details of the data breach or other activity, likely in an attempt to put pressure on the target. It is not clear how successful The Dark Overlord has been in extorting funds from victims, and the group representative said that the FBI has told victims not to pay. The group declined to elaborate when asked if the attack on this latest school district was part of a financially driven campaign.

In this case, The Dark Overlord says it hacked the Johnston Community School District, obtained a cache of data, and then used stolen contact details to send out threatening messages en masse. “I’m going to kill some kids at your son’s high school,” some of the texts said, according to local media reports. On Monday in response, the district decided to cancel classes.

The Dark Overlord said they received voicemails, SMS messages, and phone calls to the number they used to send the messages. The group shared just under a dozen of the alleged voicemails with The Daily Beast, before dumping them online.

“I don’t know who you are, but the shit that you are pulling, it kind of needs to stop,” one voicemail from a woman says. “Because the messages you are sending to parents is pretty fucked up. If you have it out for that many children, then maybe you deserve to be in a hole.”

Other voicemails appear to be from affected students.

“You’re a fucking pussy, you won’t do shit. I’m sitting outside school tomorrow; fucking do it,” a child’s voice says in one message.

The Dark Overlord also published an alleged student directory from Johnston Community School District, and claimed it had hacked the Splendora Independent School District in Texas in a message posted to Pastebin. At the end of September local media reported hackers had stolen student information from the district.

A spokesperson for the city of Johnston did not respond to a request for comment.

Doug Levin, president of consultancy EdTech Strategies told The Daily Beast in an email, “As schools are increasing their reliance on IT services, they are exposing themselves and their communities to new threats. Designed as they are to target children and families and generate fear, this series of attacks represents a significant evolution of the types of online threats facing schools.”

After The Dark Overlord targeted a Montana school district in September, Sen. Steve Daines raised concerns about the group with FBI Director Christopher Wray, the Flathead Beacon reported.

The general problem was not just an issue for Fortune 500 companies, but also hospitals and schools, Wray said.

“It’s a threat that is growing,” he said.



Internet terrorists.

[dannno]

Fuck the ransom, just release the shit..

[Zippyjuan]

$#@! the ransom, just release the $#@!..

They only care about the money they can extort. The files likely won't show that the Towers were nuked or taken down by thermite.

[Swordsmyth]

Images of some of the documents began circulating on Wednesday after the group released decryption keys, which appear to show communications related to the World Trade Center.
The FBI is one of multiple law-enforcement agencies who are now investigating the breach, according to FT. The Dark Overlord, meanwhile, says that it has been under investigation for years, and that it had also gathered other information from Lloyd's and Silverstein Properties - founded by former WTC owner Larry Silverstein.


More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-02/fbi-probing-theft-18000-documents-linked-sept-11-attacks

[Schifference]

need to start a go fund me release the docs.
The could auction to highest bidder.

[Swordsmyth]

Dark Overlord Statement on Pastebin (https://pastebin.com/4F5R8QyQ)
Dark Overlord AMA on 4chan /pol (http://boards.4chan.org/pol/thread/198364116)
At the above 4chan link, they also claim to have information on UFOs:

Q: I’d be willing to chip in with others to see it if I was sure it would be world shaking info. Not something the average person would change the TV when it came up on the news. On a scale of 1-10 how system breaking is the info?
A: You’re the smart one here, asking the right questions. We’d say it’s a 7.5, all things considered. Snowden may have been a 5.5, maybe a 6. More people care about 911 than USA spying. Now, our next release about UFOs, yeah, that’s a 10 mate, but it’s going to wait until we’re done here.
https://www.cryptogon.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/popcorneating.gif (https://www.cryptogon.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/popcorneating.gif)


More at: https://www.cryptogon.com/?p=54053

[Schifference]

If the US government cannot find and shut down these people why would they think they would be successful with any other cyber security?

[Anti Globalist]

Do it. Release the information.

[Swordsmyth]

Reddit, Twitter and Pastebin are actively suppressing Dark Overlord information.
On the open Internet, the group remains active at https://steemit.com/@thedarkoverlord.
Cryptome is mirroring the files released so far. (https://lists.cpunks.org/pipermail/cypherpunks/2019-January/044297.html)


https://www.cryptogon.com/?p=54063

[AuH20]

White hats?

[Swordsmyth]

White hats?
Who knows?

But if they reveal the truth it is a victory for us.

[ProBlue33]

Interesting that Reddit banned the entire forum that was discussing this, not posts, not threads, but the entire forum, nerve touched I would say.

[Mach]

Reddit, Twitter and Pastebin are actively suppressing Dark Overlord information.
On the open Internet, the group remains active at https://steemit.com/@thedarkoverlord.
Cryptome is mirroring the files released so far. (https://lists.cpunks.org/pipermail/cypherpunks/2019-January/044297.html)


https://www.cryptogon.com/?p=54063

Has anyone actually downloaded those and read them?

[Swordsmyth]

Has anyone actually downloaded those and read them?
I haven't yet.

I would bet someone has.

[AuH20]

https://www.infowars.com/watch-live-deep-state-in-panic-mode-after-dark-overlord-releases-9-11-documents/

[nikcers]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vVXTQzfN0Q

[Cap]

Psyop.

[Swordsmyth]

The Dark Overlord hacker group has released decryption keys for 650 documents it says are related to 9/11, and promised that future leaks will have devastating consequences for the US ‘deep state’.
The document dump is just a fraction of the 18,000 secret documents related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks believed to have been stolen from insurers, law firms, and government agencies.
The Dark Overlord initially threatened to release the 10GB of data unless the hacked firms paid an unspecified bitcoin ransom. However, on Wednesday, the group announced (https://steemit.com/thedarkoverlord/@thedarkoverlord/press-release-02-crypto-cash-for-crypto-cache) a “tiered compensation plan” in which the public could make bitcoin payments to unlock the troves of documents.
A day later, the Dark Overlord said that it had received more than $12,000 in bitcoin – enough to unlock “layer 1” and several “checkpoints,” comprised of 650 documents in total.
There are four more layers that remain encrypted and, according to the group, “each layer contains more secrets, more damaging materials… and generally just more truth.”
The hackers are asking for $2 million in bitcoin for the public release of its “megaleak,” which it has dubbed “the 9/11 Papers.”


By design, the “layer 1” documents – if authentic – do not appear to contain any explosive revelations. The publications focus mostly on testimonies from airport security and details concerning insurance pay-outs to parties affected by the 9/11 attacks. However, the data dump suggests that the group is not bluffing.

“Let this serve as more definitive proof that what we’re saying is true, and that we’re doing exactly as we promised you. Continue to keep the bitcoins flowing, and we’ll continue to keep the truth flowing,” they wrote in a message that included the decryption keys.
The documents – which were immediately scrubbed from Reddit, Pastebin and Twitter – are available for download (https://steemit.com/thedarkoverlord/@thedarkoverlord/9-11-papers-megaleak-layer-1-checkpoint-03-04-05-06-and-07-cyber-cash-for-cyber-cache) on Steemit at the time of writing.


More at: https://www.infowars.com/hacker-group-releases-9-11-papers-says-future-leaks-will-burn-down-us-deep-state/

[Grandmastersexsay]

Sounds like this was their plan all along. Legitimately hack these company records. Find nothing revealing. Threaten to release the documents. Ransom doesn't get paid. Then threaten to allow a go fund me type project for conspiracy suckers to pay them. Clever and it will work.

[Superfluous Man]

You’re the smart one here, asking the right questions. We’d say it’s a 7.5, all things considered. Snowden may have been a 5.5, maybe a 6. More people care about 911 than USA spying. Now, our next release about UFOs, yeah, that’s a 10 mate, but it’s going to wait until we’re done here.

In other words, they're bluffing, and not very good at it.

[Superfluous Man]

Sounds like this was their plan all along. Legitimately hack these company records. Find nothing revealing. Threaten to release the documents. Ransom doesn't get paid. Then threaten to allow a go find me type project for conspiracy suckers to pay them. Clever and it will work.

+rep

[TheCount]

Sounds legit.

[Swordsmyth]

The Dark Overlord hacker group has released decryption keys for a second batch of 9/11 documents, totaling over 7,500 files.

After apparently failing to secure the ransom, the group then took bitcoin donations from the public, releasing ‘layer 1’ after collecting $12,000 – but then also releasing ‘layer 2’ on Wednesday despite not meeting its funding target.
So far, no ‘smoking gun’ has emerged detailing conspiracy or government involvement in the terrorist attacks.


Instead, the documents build up a picture of insurance litigators brainstorming to see who they could sue for damages in the wake of the attacks. In emails, the lawyers discuss targeting the airlines, airplane manufacturers, the Federal Aviation Authority, the terrorists themselves, and foreign entities.
Talking strategy, the lawyers mull taking action against Boeing for not fitting the 757 and 767 aircraft used in the attacks with automatic transponders, which could have alerted authorities sooner that something was amiss, a case that the lawyers admit in the documents was flimsy. The lawyers also discuss dropping a case against the FAA, for fear of rankling the government.
Along the way, the litigators discuss whether then-President George W. Bush had advance knowledge of the attacks, or whether the Saudi Royal family was responsible, but this discussion is speculative and no damning new information is revealed.
While the encryption key for the first batch of documents has been scrubbed from Reddit, Pastebin and Twitter, it remained available for several days on Steemit. Dark Overlord’s account was banned from the platform on Wednesday, however, but the documents can be accessed on Busy.org, a website that runs on the same blockchain as Steemit.

DarkOverlord's account on @steemit (https://twitter.com/steemit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) has also been deleted. So much for centralization. However his posts have been recorded on the #steem (https://twitter.com/hashtag/steem?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) blockchain, and those posts are accessible via other apps running on the Steem blockchain like @PartikoTeam (https://twitter.com/PartikoTeam?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) – just download their app pic.twitter.com/zQQTgFCkfN (https://t.co/zQQTgFCkfN)
— wethepeople

(@armyofpeople) January 8, 2019 (https://twitter.com/armyofpeople/status/1082767980608380928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)



The hacker group has promised three more layers of documents to come, if its price is met. The latest leak was accompanied with the message: “Continue to keep the bitcoins flowing, and we’ll continue to keep the truth flowing.” The hackers are asking for $2 million in bitcoin for the public release of its “megaleak,” which it has dubbed “the 9/11 Papers.”

More at: https://www.infowars.com/hackers-release-second-cache-of-9-11-docs/

[TheCount]

Aaaaand it's still nothing.