(“…and if you can beat Harry Reid in ping-pong, I’ll *double* it.”)
MMA Junkie cites the Center for Responsible Politics in reporting that the UFC has spent $620,000 on lobbying the U.S. Congress this past year, mainly on anti-piracy matters. In terms of major sports leagues, only the NFL has spent more than the UFC. From the Junkie report:
“The industry-leading fight promotion shelled out $620,000, double the amount of Major League Baseball and nearly five times the National Basketball Association’s payout, according to the Center for Responsible Politics.
“The NFL dwarfed all major sporting organizations with $1.14 million.
“The UFC’s 2012 figures represent a 51 percent increase from the previous year, in which parent company Zuffa spent $410,000 in Washington, and a 158 percent increase from $240,000 in 2008, when CRP first tracked lobbying records.”
“A pair of firms – Brownstein, Hyatt, Faber and Schreck LLP, as well as SB Consulting – represent the UFC. The promotion’s co-chief operating officer, Lawrence Epstein [said] that the firms are used to educate legislators on MMA and to push for tougher anti-piracy laws that could stem financial losses from illegal streaming.”
You may remember that some hackers attacked UFC President Dana White for his organization’s support of and lobbying for passage of SOPA. The UFC has long been aggressive in litigating real or perceived violations of its intellectual property, going after individuals, small business owners, and large companies alike, and this level of investment in congressional lobbying shows that they are eager to get all the legislative help they can as they seek to monetize the content they create and own.
(“…and if you can beat Harry Reid in ping-pong, I’ll *double* it.”)
MMA Junkie cites the Center for Responsible Politics in reporting that the UFC has spent $620,000 on lobbying the U.S. Congress this past year, mainly on anti-piracy matters. In terms of major sports leagues, only the NFL has spent more than the UFC. From the Junkie report:
“The industry-leading fight promotion shelled out $620,000, double the amount of Major League Baseball and nearly five times the National Basketball Association’s payout, according to the Center for Responsible Politics.
“The NFL dwarfed all major sporting organizations with $1.14 million.
“The UFC’s 2012 figures represent a 51 percent increase from the previous year, in which parent company Zuffa spent $410,000 in Washington, and a 158 percent increase from $240,000 in 2008, when CRP first tracked lobbying records.”
“A pair of firms – Brownstein, Hyatt, Faber and Schreck LLP, as well as SB Consulting – represent the UFC. The promotion’s co-chief operating officer, Lawrence Epstein [said] that the firms are used to educate legislators on MMA and to push for tougher anti-piracy laws that could stem financial losses from illegal streaming.”
You may remember that some hackers attacked UFC President Dana White for his organization’s support of and lobbying for passage of SOPA. The UFC has long been aggressive in litigating real or perceived violations of its intellectual property, going after individuals, small business owners, and large companies alike, and this level of investment in congressional lobbying shows that they are eager to get all the legislative help they can as they seek to monetize the content they create and own.
It is impossible to tell right now whether or not the UFC’s lobbying money is being well-spent. SOPA failed and I’ve heard rumors that somewhere out there in the deep and wide inter web folks still download and share UFC fights.
The UFC’s lobbying of local legislatures has, in contrast, paid clear dividends. Since the UFC began making a serious commitment to lobbying state legislatures in hopes of getting sanctioned in all states, they’ve made great progress in the United States. New York is the only state of real importance that is still giving the UFC fits in terms of sanctioning. They’ve had similar success gaining sanctioned internationally as well.
Anyway, if you get a cease and desist letter from the UFC’s legal department and think to call your congressman to complain, you should know that he or she may have already heard from Uncle Dana.
The world today is growing exponentially towards technology, and while the accompanying benefits are undeniable, risks are always involved. Dana White, President of the UFC, and the UFC website, UFC.com, have felt the full force.
The world today is growing exponentially towards technology, and while the accompanying benefits are undeniable, risks are always involved. Dana White, President of the UFC, and the UFC website, UFC.com, have felt the full force of these risks. Recently, someone known by the username JoshTheGod, hacked into UFC.com and White’s personal information. But this online war started much earlier this year, in January.
White had advocated in support of SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act), as much of UFC merchandise gets pirated. As expected, many online hackers retaliated against the president of the UFC. After JoshTheGod targeted and harassed Dana White over various social media sites, he targeted UFC.com shutting down the website. White practically dared them to do it again. He responded to the hackers by stating on Twitter:
“I’m in the fight biz not the website biz!! Might be a big deal to other companies not mine.”
“Lol, I’m not fucking ebay. My website being down doesn’t mean shit”
And “I could give a flying rats ass about UFC. Com.”
Dana White went on to state, “The internet is a place where cowards live.” Shortly after this statement, White’s social security number was posted online. Dana White showed little attention to this as he uttered, “You’re gonna send some pizzas to my house and put my Social Security number out? Who gives a shit? If people really wanted to get your Social Security number, I’m sure they could find it. I’m supposed to bow down to you guys now? I’m going to come after you harder. If you want to fight me, you better pack a f—ing lunch, man. Because we’re gonna go until somebody wins and somebody loses.” White then turned to the FBI as he said he had a plan of attack figured out. As the FBI was already looking into piracy of UFC merchandise, they knew where to look. After UFC.com was hacked, other branches of the government investigated into the crime. This led these departments to pinpoint the hackers responsible, and make arrests.
While it took a good 6 months for the entire case to come to fruition and work itself out, the hacker has finally been identified as 18 year old Mir Islam, and has been subsequently arrested along with other assailants. Islam, who was also behind multiple other websites involving credit card fraud, was the head in the major sting operation. As it turns out, he had been selling credit card information to a government run website while the FBI zoned in on him. White feels as if he had a lot to do with this in opposing the group, standing his ground, and helping the feds zone in an the hacker.
We all know that Dana White is one badass guy, and this simply adds to the list. If someone posted my social security number on the internet, I would be terrified. On the other hand, I am not the head of the number one mixed martial arts promotion in the world. Anyone who decides to mess with Dana White is picking a fight with the wrong guy. He is the epitome of a man who doesn’t care what anyone thinks or feels about him, and does what he wants to do. This is the worst enemy of an online hacker, and any internet predator for that matter. Whether or not Dana White had a large part in the arrest of these criminals, we can at least thank him for challenging these assailants in a way we all wish we could embody.
Perhaps you recall that some five months ago, the UFC’s website was hacked by a group of cyber Nazi’s, who in turn released Dana White’s personal information, including social security numbers, phone numbers, net worth, etc. in a response to White’s rallying support of the SOPA bill. We were originally informed that one of the culprits behind all this, known to the Internet world as JoshTheGod, was a thirteen year old Australian computer whiz, by crikey, but recent events have proven otherwise.
As it turns out, JoshTheGod is actually Mir Islam, and he was hauled in yesterday along with over two dozen other individuals spread across thirteen countries as part of a sting stemming from a two-year undercover operation known as Operation Card Shop. According to our inside sources, the capture of these individuals was led by an officer named Axel Foley, who had been assigned to, as he put it, “a multi-jurisdictional federal taskforce on organized crime” some twenty five years ago (Ed note: Now THAT’s preparation). After leading police on a chase across greater Detroit while still undercover, a chase that resulted in the deaths of 8 people and the destruction of 16 police vehicles, 7 fire hydrants, a magazine kiosk, and a stolen cement truck, Foley was able to apprehend each and every one of the suspects that he had not already gunned down in the chase.
Federal officials said Operation Card Shop, as the sting is being called, was unusually broad and represented a significant step in combating credit card fraud, which has grown notably more sophisticated recently.
The online forum, one law enforcement official said, was “like a restricted eBay,” open only to people who had a reputation and who had been vouched for by someone on the site. Besides the financial data, hacking tips, malware, spyware and access to stolen goods, like iPads and iPhones, were also possible on the site, the official said.
Many of the 11 individuals arrested in the United States offered specialized skills and products on the sting site. One, who used the screen name xVisceral, offered remote access tools known as RATS that would spy on computers and Web cameras; the programs sold for $50 a copy.
Another, Mir Islam, known as JoshTheGod, sold stolen credit card information and had data on 50,000 credit card accounts, according to the United States attorney for the Southern District. He was arrested after buying cards from an undercover agent and trying to use one at an A.T.M. on Eighth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.
Perhaps you recall that some five months ago, the UFC’s website was hacked by a group of cyber Nazi’s, who in turn released Dana White’s personal information, including social security numbers, phone numbers, net worth, etc. in a response to White’s rallying support of the SOPA bill. We were originally informed that one of the culprits behind all this, known to the Internet world as JoshTheGod, was a thirteen year old Australian computer whiz, by crikey, but recent events have proven otherwise.
As it turns out, JoshTheGod is actually Mir Islam, and he was hauled in yesterday along with over two dozen other individuals spread across thirteen countries as part of a sting stemming from a two-year undercover operation known as Operation Card Shop. According to our inside sources, the capture of these individuals was led by an officer named Axel Foley, who had been assigned to, as he put it, “a multi-jurisdictional federal taskforce on organized crime” some twenty five years ago (Ed note: Now THAT’s preparation). After leading police on a chase across greater Detroit while still undercover, a chase that resulted in the deaths of 8 people and the destruction of 16 police vehicles, 7 fire hydrants, a magazine kiosk, and a stolen cement truck, Foley was able to apprehend each and every one of the suspects that he had not already gunned down in the chase.
Federal officials said Operation Card Shop, as the sting is being called, was unusually broad and represented a significant step in combating credit card fraud, which has grown notably more sophisticated recently.
The online forum, one law enforcement official said, was “like a restricted eBay,” open only to people who had a reputation and who had been vouched for by someone on the site. Besides the financial data, hacking tips, malware, spyware and access to stolen goods, like iPads and iPhones, were also possible on the site, the official said.
Many of the 11 individuals arrested in the United States offered specialized skills and products on the sting site. One, who used the screen name xVisceral, offered remote access tools known as RATS that would spy on computers and Web cameras; the programs sold for $50 a copy.
Another, Mir Islam, known as JoshTheGod, sold stolen credit card information and had data on 50,000 credit card accounts, according to the United States attorney for the Southern District. He was arrested after buying cards from an undercover agent and trying to use one at an A.T.M. on Eighth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.
Mr. Islam is accused of helping to operate additional forums, UGNazi.com andCarders.org, both of which were seized by the F.B.I. A lawyer for Mr. Islam declined to comment.
Other people arrested offered to ship stolen merchandise and arrange drop services so items like sunglasses, air purifiers and synthetic marijuana could be picked up.
Two individuals were arrested in New York, nine elsewhere in the United States and 13 in a dozen other countries, according to an F.B.I. spokeswoman.
In addition to arresting purveyors of stolen credit card information, authorities also aimed to trap people who created fake credit cards. The information included credit card numbers, addresses, Social Security numbers, mothers’ maiden names and details of bank accounts.
Some people who bought software and other items on the sting site purchased products from retailers like Apple and Walmart.
“The coordinated law enforcement actions taken by an unprecedented number of countries around the world today demonstrate that hackers and fraudsters cannot count on being able to prowl the Internet in anonymity and with impunity, even across national boundaries,” said Preet Bharara, United States attorney for the Southern District of New York.
In addition to luring hackers onto the site, federal authorities also monitored the discussion threads that sprang up, as specialized hackers sold their wares. The site was created in June 2010 and shut last month.
Assistant director for the FBI, Janice K. Fedarcyk, stated that the arrests would result in “significant disruption to the underground economy.” As of now, the number of people reportedly arrested stands at 26.
Although Islam is innocent until proven guilty, we cannot help but express our disappointment in him. Because, when he was just hacking into DW’s personal information and releasing it to the general public, it was basically a victimless crime.
*looks over shoulder*
Hell, he even had a cause behind what he was doing; he was almost like an Internet freedom fighter, if you will, and that in its own twisted way is kind of respectable. But as was the case with George Jung, he just had to get greedy. We can’t say we’re surprised that a man with enough hubris to call himself “God” would pull this kind of stunt, but disappointed nonetheless.
It will undoubtedly be a while before we are made aware of exactly what charges and sentence he may be facing in federal pound-me-in-the-ass-prison, but will we keep you informed as things transpire.
(“Wait. How did he know I was writing this from my mom’s basement. Scary.”)
According to a story released today by Softpedia.com, the hacker that shut down UFC.com and posted Dana White’s purported personal information including his Social Security number, phone numbers and net worth, was a 13-year-old Australian computer whiz who goes by the handle s3rver.exe
When I was 13 I couldn’t even beat Super Mario Brothers. This kid claims to have “taken down” over 120 and hacked over 150 websites, including Mastercard.com and URLs belonging to the Oakland Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation using the same software that others use to steal credit card and banking information.
(“Wait. How did he know I was writing this from my mom’s basement. Scary.”)
According to a story released today by Softpedia.com, the hacker that shut down UFC.com and posted Dana White’s purported personal information including his Social Security number, phone numbers and net worth, was a 13-year-old Australian computer whiz who goes by the handle s3rver.exe
When I was 13 I couldn’t even beat Super Mario Brothers. This kid claims to have “taken down” over 120 and hacked over 150 websites, including Mastercard.com and URLs belonging to the Oakland Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation using the same software that others use to steal credit card and banking information.
His reason for doing what he did to the UFC and its president was that White called the social hacker group “Anonymous,” which he counts himself a member of, “a bunch of terrorists” after the collective posted an anti-SOPA and PIPA message on the company’s website last Sunday. After warning White to take back the remark and receiving a “fuck you” back from him, the boy defaced the UFC site for a second time in a week and posted a document containing sensitive personal info about Dana.
After another warning — this time about protecting the welfare of his employees went unheeded by White, the self-proclaimed “grey hat” released Jason “Mayhem” Miller’s info on Twitter. Interesting choice there since it’s unclear that “Mayhem” is still a UFC employee. Even more interesting is the fact that Miller owns four phones. Maybe he has one for each of his personalities and one for his wiener dog.
When you think about it, having a 13-year-old from Australia do all of your dirty work is genius, since as a young offender he won’t be penalized for the acts of web vandalism and mischief and there is no e-treaty with the U.S. that would see him tried on American soil for screwing with one of its businesses or citizens.
Regardless of consequence, s3rver.exe, who has only been hacking for about two years, says he isn’t scared of being caught.
“When I breached my first sites, I was like ‘what will happen?’, ‘will I be ok?’, or ‘will I get caught?’, but it’s not that scary now,” the self-taught hacker explains. I am not that worried. I always have a reason to hack a website; I am not like just going on a random deface rampage.”
The legendary “hacktivist” group Anonymous has apparently retaliated in their war with the UFC and UFC president Dana White over support of the controversial SOPA and PIPA bills. Five days ago, the UFC website was hacked for the first time….
The legendary “hacktivist” group Anonymous has apparently retaliated in their war with the UFC and UFC president Dana White over support of the controversial SOPA and PIPA bills. Five days ago, the UFC website was hacked for the first time. Instead of the usual articles and pictures on the website, there was only a drawing of […]
The legendary “hacktivist” group Anonymous has apparently retaliated in their war with the UFC and UFC president Dana White over support of the controversial SOPA and PIPA bills. Five days ago, the UFC website was hacked for the first time….
The legendary “hacktivist” group Anonymous has apparently retaliated in their war with the UFC and UFC president Dana White over support of the controversial SOPA and PIPA bills. Five days ago, the UFC website was hacked for the first time. Instead of the usual articles and pictures on the website, there was only a drawing of […]
