Last weekend, I got a nice little message from Stratfor. They informed me they'd been hacked, and to protect myself. This week, I was notified my email and some passwords for sale on the web. I've been changing my passwords left and right. Trying to get more sophisticated about it all, and trying to figure out just how many damned internet accounts, passwords, bill payment systems, credit cards, etc. I actually have. The truth is I just don't know. More than I thought, of course.
This evening I read that Anonymous had published the credit card information for Stratfor subscribers. Ouch. That's just not what I need. I'm pushing my limits. I've TWICE had at least one card hacked in the last six months and have gone through the repeated process of disputing charges, canceling numbers, re-signing up on line subscriptions, and waiting for a week for a new card to arrive. Overall, it's a pain in the ass.
Generally, I support Anonymous' actions for transparency. Wikileaks, too. I'm a lawyer and I spent a decade specializing in Open Government litigation (meetings, records, etc). I'm on board. But can you please leave my damned credit card alone?
It's not like I'm some big government spook, or anything. I signed up with Stratfor when they had a deeply discounted yearly subscription this year. I actually know some of the guys there. I shared a floor with them in Austin when I was a practicing lawyer. They even had one really hot secretary who used to have punk hair and dress and leather. I liked her, too. They guys mostly jumped at loud noises and got nervous when they shared elevators with attractive women. No kidding.
Anyway, I'm kind of a political geek. Ya think? That's why I'm on here. I'm also running a start up coming trying to grow biomass for renewable energy. One day I'm negotiating contracts, the next I'm struggling to make payroll. Today is one of the payroll days. Signing up with Stratfor seemed reasonable because it was cheap, at the time, and I need to know as much as I can about those things that affect international monetary policy, (specifically the value of the Euro) as I can.
So, I subscribed to Stratfor. And now I feel a little like road kill on the highway of class warfare. I'm a middle class guy (currently lower middle class) who got slammed by activists trying to take on big government. I think I'm doing the right thing. Trying to save the world, etc. And I'm suddenly collateral damage.
So, just a note to all you hackers and Anonymous supporters out there. Let's be careful out there. Not everyone on Stratfor's list is a spook. Or military. Or an evil doer. There are a lot more of middle class guys than the 1% er's. Try not to hit us all with the same train.