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Running a Dark Web pedophile honeypot

geekslop.com

41–50 of 185 posts

Re: Running a Dark Web pedophile honeypot

#41
> Had I been the FBI, they would have been caught.

Considering that no actual files were made available for download, and many of the visitors were likely researchers, there wouldn't be enough to prosecute, but given the implied level of security the actual pedos were using, the FBI could just search their computers and would likely find enough evidence.

>For instance, pedophiles form their own communities and within those communities, a sense of trust is developed.

Or, pedos aren't drawn from the same population that knows how to do stuff securely, they just read a guide or two on how to use Tor. I'd assume you could get "4-7%" of many groups of people to download something and run it, that doesn't show that pedos necessarily are more trusting. (In fact, I'd expect higher numbers from random internet users, thus implying that pedos are less trusting, which I'd expect at a minimum given the fact that they can access Tor).

Re: Running a Dark Web pedophile honeypot

#42
post #2

Is it just me, or the rhetorical question in the title ("why I now think Tor is the devil") never got answered? Also not clear whether the Dark Web spider project was just to later seed the honeypot sites to appear legit, or was it a project on its own? The quote "The reports are published nightly on a hacker-related Dark Web site that I am involved with" hints at the latter, and then I'd double don't understand why…

Yeah this is clearly by someone who doesn't really understand how Tor works. Revealing exit node IP addresses is completely useless—this is a fundamental tenant of Tor's security. In fact, I believe that at any given time you can easily query the network for a list of all Tor exit nodes. I think the "why I now think Tor is the devil" question is answered in the opening—because it has illegal/immoral stuff on it. I'm…

> this is a fundamental tenant

might be a typo, but just in case - a 'tenet' is a rule or principle, a 'tenant' is an occupier.

Re: Running a Dark Web pedophile honeypot

#43
Maybe it's just me but I don't really like the tendency to treat pedophiles as if they are the devils themselves.

Let there be no doubt. I have two kids and there is probably no limit to what I would do to someone who did anything to my kids. But it's not as simply as just condemning pedophiles for being that and I ultimately think there is something morally or ethically questionable about this approach.

It's fairly well established that many pedophiles where in fact victims of pedophilia in their childhood themselves and so I would like to see a less hysteric and more balanced response to the issue.

Just because he is helping catching the bad guys does not give him the moral upper hand as he seem to think he has. Too bad such a complex issue gets treated with such brushing generalizations.

Maybe I am reading too much into what he writes, but these honeypots to hit random people just feels wrong to me. Like snooping on someone else life.

Re: Running a Dark Web pedophile honeypot

#44
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was 4-7%. I pre-wrote the article estimating the final numbers and then shut down the site two days early. Traffic dropped suddenly leading me to believe something was up. The exit node IP is not totally useless. It's enough to prompt a knock on your door by the authorities. Granted, once they recognize you're running an exit node there's nothing they can do (otherwise Charter could also be held liable) but still,…

Here you go, all Tor exit nodes: https://check.torproject.org/exit-addresses The Tor project does a lot of work to make operating an exit node safer and less likely to prompt the authorities to intervene. This is good, because even if the authorities did want to talk to exit node providers, those people _couldn't_ provide any useful logs.

Although they could be made to run a packet sniffer, which could provide useful information.

Re: Running a Dark Web pedophile honeypot

#45
An interesting point I heard here I think, long ago...

The fact that tor is full of stuff like kidporn is actually a positive commentary on our society. It means that almost everyone, even people with wildly unpopular views, feel comfortable discussing them in the open. Tor isn't full of manifestos and political texts because people don't feel the need to hide that stuff.

I am sort of glad tor exists in spite of the nasty uses some put it to. It's like the modern equivalent of what having a well armed militia around was once supposed to achieve. It's like a backup system.

Re: Running a Dark Web pedophile honeypot

#46

Maybe it's just me but I don't really like the tendency to treat pedophiles as if they are the devils themselves. Let there be no doubt. I have two kids and there is probably no limit to what I would do to someone who did anything to my kids. But it's not as simply as just condemning pedophiles for being that and I ultimately think there is something morally or ethically questionable about this approach. It's fairly…

> It's fairly well established that many pedophiles where in fact victims of pedophilia in their childhood themselves …

Wouldn't that mean, that he is not only trying to catch pedophiles but actively curing pedophilia?

I think what is going on in the US with the public shaming of offenders in databases is wrong, but I am fine with honeypots to catch them. Legally he is in no position to do so, of course.

Re: Running a Dark Web pedophile honeypot

#47
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are knives the devil, because knives can be used to kill people?

If you're looking for a shoddy metaphor you should probably use swords instead, because the legitimate uses of knives vastly outnumber the killing-people uses of them but swords have it the other way around.

During the time period that Homer lived, they were also used as forks.

Re: Running a Dark Web pedophile honeypot

#48

Maybe it's just me but I don't really like the tendency to treat pedophiles as if they are the devils themselves. Let there be no doubt. I have two kids and there is probably no limit to what I would do to someone who did anything to my kids. But it's not as simply as just condemning pedophiles for being that and I ultimately think there is something morally or ethically questionable about this approach. It's fairly…

> It's fairly well established that many pedophiles where in fact victims of pedophilia in their childhood themselves

This point is oftentimes overlooked. Also, the word "pedophile" is oftentimes conflated with "child molester", which makes it impossible to distinguish the individuals who are pedophiles but have not (and have no intentions to) act on those desires.

I found this article to be a worthwhile read on the latter situation: https://medium.com/matter/youre-16-youre-a-pedophile-you-don...

Re: Running a Dark Web pedophile honeypot

#49

Maybe it's just me but I don't really like the tendency to treat pedophiles as if they are the devils themselves. Let there be no doubt. I have two kids and there is probably no limit to what I would do to someone who did anything to my kids. But it's not as simply as just condemning pedophiles for being that and I ultimately think there is something morally or ethically questionable about this approach. It's fairly…

> It's fairly well established that many pedophiles where in fact victims of pedophilia in their childhood themselves … Wouldn't that mean, that he is not only trying to catch pedophiles but actively curing pedophilia? I think what is going on in the US with the public shaming of offenders in databases is wrong, but I am fine with honeypots to catch them. Legally he is in no position to do so, of course.

Maybe a few but he is also hurting someone who might just be watching and could destroy their lives completely. As I said it's not that simple.

I find it all disgusting but these people need help not traps. They are humans not animals despite what we think of some of their actions.

Re: Running a Dark Web pedophile honeypot

#50
post #27
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are knives the devil, because knives can be used to kill people?

Their argument doesn't appear to be "Tor is bad because it can be used for bad stuff" but "Tor is bad because it is overwhelmingly used for bad stuff today ". That seems to be a meaningful distinction to me. (I don't really care about the argument/premise itself, I just find your sloppy attempt at a counter-argument to be weak)

Since we're talking about the devil: The biblical standard for acceptable collateral damage is kind of interesting. God in the old testament said he wouldn't smite a city if there are at least 10 righteous people in it. /theologynerd

http://biblia.com/bible/nkjv/Gen%2018.20%E2%80%9333

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