Anonymous vs. HBGary: The Hackers Who Burned a Security Firm to the Ground

In early 2011, Aaron Barr, CEO of security firm HBGary Federal, made a catastrophic boast: he had identified the leadership of the hacker collective Anonymous and planned to expose them at an upcoming security conference. He told the Financial Times.

Anonymous saw the article. They were not pleased.

THE HACK: Within days, Anonymous had:

• Compromised HBGary Federal's email server
• Downloaded 70,000 company emails
• Defaced HBGary's website with taunting messages
• Taken over Aaron Barr's Twitter account
• Published everything publicly

WHAT THE EMAILS REVEALED: The leaked emails exposed far more than a security company's embarrassment. They revealed:

• HBGary Federal had been contracted by Bank of America to conduct a "dirty tricks" campaign against WikiLeaks and journalist Glenn Greenwald
• The plan included creating fake personas online, planting false documents, and discrediting WikiLeaks supporters
• A coalition of private firms — including Palantir and Berico — had been involved

THE COLLAPSE: The revelations were explosive:

• Palantir and Berico publicly distanced themselves and apologized
• Aaron Barr resigned within weeks
• HBGary Federal effectively ceased to exist
• Congressional investigations were opened into the Bank of America/WikiLeaks plot

THE IRONY: The CEO of a cybersecurity firm, who believed he had outsmarted one of the world's most capable hacker groups, had his entire organization dismantled in a matter of days.

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