Just like the low security systems they crack, the weakest link in their own chain is the human element.
Think password reuse is a problem? So is screen name reuse. So is having the same friends over time. So is trusting people.
A person's digital fingerprint is huge these days, and a human weakness can break the chain apart. And once one person's in custody? How much discipline do you think each member has to not snitch in the face of prison time?
Exactly right. We have images of government forces tracing connections across a glowing map thanks to movies, but really they just tap their network of informants, or do personal research.
In my imagination, they'll start with Aurenheimer's hdd. The world isn't that big. Think how the head of the CIA is probably 7 people away from anyone in luzsec.
The human element is clearly the weak point, but it's also the easiest to overcome. The cracker who speaks to no one is secure beyond reproach. That they inevitably speak to others in search of recognition and respect is a flaw in the operators, not the system.
Think password reuse is a problem? So is screen name reuse. So is having the same friends over time. So is trusting people.
A person's digital fingerprint is huge these days, and a human weakness can break the chain apart. And once one person's in custody? How much discipline do you think each member has to not snitch in the face of prison time?