Not a user, just interested observer. Major face palms all around with this shit... first the major screw ups with DPR, and not this with Defcon (I dont know the stories at all for the other markets)? WTF.
One word: OpSec - fucking learn it!
Here is some tips if you are thinking of trying to become an internet druglord/kingpin :)
- If you live in the U.S.A..... stop what you are doing or GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE STATES. This is rule #1. The states are the main ones trying to track you down, why the hell would you operate right where they have the most power, most surveillance and can catch you the easiest? Come on guys.
- Do not involve your personal email or anything that can be linked to one of your emails or identity etc.. pretty basic, and pretty shocking actually that this seems to slip the minds of the likes of Blake and Ross. This includes forum accounts, web hosts, domain registrars etc.
- Stop with the ego and philosophical shit. Every time you write some big speech about how you are fighting for freedom and mankind, you are just making yourself a bigger target and more importantly potentially giving away clues to your identity (even your writing style)
- Dont store shit in plaintext.. encrypt everything, use PGP for everything possible. Dont use windows. Implement some actual failsafes in case shit turns south
- Dont cash out $200 grand in BTC into your bank account... your just asking for trouble, plus giving your identity to an exchange... We are at a point now where most goods should be able to acquire just with BTC. If you really need cash, just do local in person trades or even buy physical stuff with BTC and then turn around and sell that.
- Stop trying to lead a double life, especially when both lives are basically centred around the same thing (bitcoin). You are running a highly illegal online drug and contraband dealing operation... thats serious shit. You cant go around putting on your personal linkedin "using bitcoin to create free markets" or being a high profile bitcoin evangelist. If anything you should be working a cover job doing something totally unrelated, like in a restaurant or something.
Its going to be a real piss off if whoever comes up next makes the same retarded mistakes as their predecessors... Third times a charm right?
This all seems like common sense to me. So how isn't it common sense to those who are clearly more qualified than me?