[We are including the link as well as the full article since JP is now blocking all HREFs from us. :)] http://www.antionline.com/cgi-bin/News?type=antionline&date=06-07-1999&story=brian.news AntiOnline Responds To Allegations Monday, June 7, 1999 at 11:51:56 by John Vranesevich - Founder of AntiOnline First off, for those of you that haven't read it, Brian Martin's Attrition website has today posted allegations that AntiOnline funded the Whitehouse.gov and Senate.gov hack so that we would have news to cover (However, I'm sure most of you have read it by now, because of organizations, and I use the term loosely, like the Hacker News Network). [Organizations like Wired, OSALL, Hacker News, Heise Online, SANS and more. This is the beginning of JPs tactics on dealing with those who differ in opinion. Rather than address the issues, he lashes out at a single web site that picked up this story.] Needless to say, when I went forward with the statement that AntiOnline was going to help in the fight against malicious hackers, I expected some backlash from the hacker community. A few dozen extra hack attempts a day, some synfloods. Maybe I'd find myself with a $10,000 phone bill. But, they've apparently chosen something far more creative. [The Attrition special report has been brewing for two weeks. Notice that we had to go back and add to our report once we saw JP's "change of mission". That was unexpected to say the least, but it further backed our claims. In other words, this was going to happen regardless of JP doing a 180.] First off, let me say this. Brian Martin (aka Cult_Hero) was raided by the FBI in connection with being a suspected member of the HFG (The group that hacked the New York Times), and Erik Ginorio (BroncBuster) is known, and admits, to breaking into dozens of sites (he calls [Once again, before addressing any allegations, JP must lash out at weak character attacks. This occurs in most arguments when the losing side has no other recourse like logical or well founded rebuttal. Am I under investigation? Yes. Is John Vranesevich under investigation? Yes. Thanks to a reader of the special, they shared with us another astonishing fact. This reader told us that according to the FBI, every American president to have taken office, and every employee of the FBI and CIA has been under investigation. Along with those individuals: John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Robinson, Duke Windsor, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Pablo Picasso, Thurgood Marshall, Mickey Mantle, John Lennon, Errol Flynn, Lucille Ball, Wallace D. Fard, William Gates jr., William Gates sr., Will Rogers, Steven Spielberg, Martin Luther King jr., Malcolm X and more. So, the fact that I am under investigation means what exactly? This "character flaw" that Vranesevich is so quick to point out can be found in himself as well.] himself a hacktivist). The fact that these two could think, or at least think up, some grandiose scheme which involved AntiOnline bankrolling hackers, is not surprising. They have both lived their lives trying to break, and evade, the law. [This is EXACTLY what we are talking about. Once AGAIN, JP has made libelous claims with no backing. Not once has JP been able to offer a single shred of proof or backing for these claims. In case you are not aware, being under investigation is not synonymous with guilt. The FBI have not even pressed a single charge. Yet in JP's world, I am already tried and convicted. By that reasoning, everything we have said *with proof* is also true.] For some reason, Brian Martin has become obsessed over AntiOnline. His website has dozens and dozens of pages of what he calls "errata" that he's written about it. He takes information [What I call "errata"? Its a perfect match for what Webster's dictionary calls it too. This obsession comment is akin to the one JP's partner in crime Meinel makes. They see a hobby web site with a couple hours of work on 'errata', 'shame', and 'negation' and automatically assume an obsession. These are the same people that have paid for airline tickets in order to fly to my home city and stalk me. To investigate me and harass my friends and past acquaintences for their own agenda. The same ones that wage an ongoing libel campaign against me and others, all without proof. Perhaps www.dictionary.com and a search of "obsession" is in order for them.] posted on our site out of context, then criticizes us because of it. Many people have written in asking why we never posted any response to all of the allegations he has on his site about us. Personally, it's because I felt that I didn't need to justify myself, or my actions, to someone who is currently under FBI investigation, and who has never done anything for the security scene other than criticize others. I actually feel bad for him. The fact that he [For the second time, we are both under investigation. Weak character attacks in the face of serious (and apparently true) allegations is sad. As for his claims of never doing anything for the security scene, this is the most amusing delusion yet. On top of *working* in the security field (something JP has yet to do in any serious capacity), the last eight years of my life have been full of actions that help the scene. On top of numerous text files, answering questions via email for over five years, running full domains dedicated to distribution of security information (always for free, we don't sell our 'knowledge base'), there are the three years of working for Fortune 500 companies, DOD installations, and more. The mere fact that you are reading this on Attrition which offers the most comprehensive security advisory library, an extensive crypto library, a huge DoS database, an incredible text library, and more.. should tell you something. Oh, notice we have no banners? We aren't in this for the money like some.] spends such a large portion of his life trying to "bring down" others using lies, deceit, and twistings of the truth, is sad in my eyes. [What is more sad is the apparent mental disorder JP suffers from. His previous articles attacking myself, New Dimensions, l0pht, cDc, NFR and others should point out a bit of hypocrisy there. I don't know how many times I can repeat, that in each case his claims are unbacked. Wild allegations from the back of his mind with no proof, and he says WE use deceit and lies?] As for these allegations that I paid people to break into government sites so that I could write a story. Let me just say, that such claims are so far fetched and preposterous, I'm not even going to respond to them on a point by point basis. [While he says that, lets read between the lines. He attacks the characters of ONE of the people involved in the report. He attempts to attack a second party that only shared information with us. Further, he rants about his disdain for a site, attacks me a little more, then this. JP doesn't respond to these allegations because he has NO real rebuttal. Far fetched and preposterous? We provided the proof in excruciating detail (unlike his previous claims).] It seems that almost all of the criticisms that I receive from people like Brian Martin revolve around money. He says in his "allegations" about AntiOnline that "During the past five years, AO has grown from a five megabyte hobby web site, into a multi domain business venture with hundreds of thousands of dollars in venture capital." Is that what he's so upset about? That I've made a ton of money? Well, let me put his mind at ease. The point in fact, [Let me put your mind at ease. You haven't MADE tons of money, but you are trying. Venture Capital is a gift horse, not earning.] is that I don't now, nor have I ever in my life, had a lot of money. Our venture funding wasn't in the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars. I am not ashamed to say, and in fact, I'm very proud to say, that our original funding was in the amount of $75,000. I am very proud of the levels I have taken AntiOnline to with very little resources, and a lot of [Thank you for the new contradiction fodder to add to our pages. Can you PLEASE tell the truth for ONCE in your life? Your original claims put your VC at 250k. In a chat on IRC you pointed to an article that claimed 500k. Now 75k? Can you make up your mind on exactly what money has supported AO? I won't even go into the fact that even WITH 75k, your site has produced about 450 dollars worth of material.] hard work. On average, I put in 17 hour days working on the site and related matters. At the age of 20, I'm trying to build a life long career for myself. So, to people like Mr. Martin, let me just say that anything my site has accomplished has not, and truly couldn't have been, from me throwing money at it. It came from my love for what I do, and my willingness to put in the time it takes to accomplish my dream. [Once again, before addressing any allegations, JP must promise that he is a good guy, and that you should take him at face value. This occurs in most arguments when the losing side has no other recourse like logical or well founded rebuttal. So instead of responding to the allegations, JP must attack the reporting parties, and promise you he is a good guy. Sure.] In a way, I take these allegations that have come against me as a sign that I'm on the right track with what I'm doing. If people like Brian Martin weren't yelling and screaming about me, I guess I'd take that as a sign that I'm off the beaten path. If people like Brian Martin didn't see me as a threat to them, they wouldn't be yelling. So, I'm going to view these recent allegations as a job well done letter from the malicious hackers of the world. [JP's first clever method in debate and argument! By using my name over and over, he is making a shallow attempt to demonize me. Once again, dodging the issues at hand. Next, he goes on to call *me* a malicious hacker. This is the same boy that was well known for his Denial of Service attacks against people he disliked. This is the same boy that employed an active hacker to deface and possibly damage web servers. If he reads our report as him doing "something right", he needs to exit the fantasy land his partner in crime accuses us of living in.] I have always lived my life in a way which I was proud of, and I will continue to do so. I will NOT allow people like Brian Martin and Erik Ginorio to cause me to constantly be taking some sort of sick defensive on my site (Which is probably what their intentions are). That's [As it was abundantly clear to the rest of the world, our allegations were designed to bring the truth to light. Difficult concept for someone who lives in a world of lies.] not its purpose. So, if they come out with some new allegation, like I have secrets plans to assasinate the president with a herf gun or something, you won't find a response to them from me here. As a matter of fact, you won't find a response from me at all. I will let the work that I put forth, and the actions that I take in my daily life, be my response. [Kind of like this entire childish rant was not a reply? The hypocrisy of these last two paragraphs are enough to choke me. JP has leveled accusations at a number of organizations and people. Some of these have been material you would find in an x-files episode. And WE are living in fantasy?]