Pierluigi Paganini
August 17, 2016
Have you participated in any hacking campaigns?
I have not personally participated in the hacks that have been in the news or have been plastered all over Twitter as of late. That being said, I have been on the sidelines, watching and learning from some of the best in their field. It is amazing how easy they make it look,even though I know that hacking is the farthest thing from easy.
Can you tell me more about yourself?
I hope you’ll understand that I am not in a position to tell you much about myself, given what I do. But I can tell you that I am female, I am a mother and I am passionate about what I doing & the subjects I am studying. I’m not much of a socialite; as a matter of fact, I have learned keep to myself most of the time. I do like to read, and I am quite likely the most inquisitive person you’ll ever meet. #IJustWantToKnow
What is your technical background?
I do not yet have a professional technical background. But I was raised in a family that thrived on the latest technology. If there was a new gadget on the market, we had it. Many of my family members have IT degrees and two of them currently work in the IT field. I am also currently studying for several certification exams, but the knowledge I gain each day working with this team is more valuable to me than any piece of paper.
When did you start Intel work?
I don’t know if I can pinpoint a specific time or place on that one. I was raised by two of the most amazing individuals & (without revealing too much on my loved ones )very much of my childhood involved a lot of study, fact finding, informal “interviews” and drawing conclusions. Always a “challenge, a question, or task”. My personality fit perfectly with that scenario, so I suppose you could say that gained most of my intel gathering skills at a very young age. When I stumbled upon anonymous and their mission to root out terror, among other things, I knew I had found my element. I was accepted with open arms and gained to the opportunity to learn from some of the best people in this field. Much of what I do here is demanding & tedious, but I thrive in that environment and my passion for justice makes it worthwhile.
Where do you find IS people to gather Intel on?
I watch closely to incoming forum comments and get notification on keyword searches. I search many different platforms looking for anything suspicious. These forums include Justpaste.it, archive, Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr .. Just to name a few.
What are your motivations?
(I have SO many!) Let’s see. I guess you could say that I’m motivated by my sense of justice. Being part of taking down the monsters of the world is what I live for these days. Just knowing that what I do each day can make a difference in the lives of those who are subjected to the horrific actions of these barbarians is enough to keep me going for as long as it takes. I think of my family and of how I would feel if these things were happening to them. I wouldn’t stop until I had hunted down every last offender, so my passion for justice is my greatest motivation. I’m also motivated by the people I work with, who do this for no benefit of their own. When I first started doing this, I was amazed at how they operated and how passionate they were about their work. I am honored to be a part of this mission to combat terror & I am proud of so many of the other extremely important ops being run by amazingly selfless individuals.
What is your greatest challenge?
It is mentally challenging at times, finding the courage to dig into the details of the horrific acts we see on a daily basis . I find myself sick, almost grieving over the things I have to see every day here, especially when there are children involved. There are just some things you can’t “unsee”. I have to remind myself that having to observe the horror is nothing compared to what it must be like to LIVE it. Some of the most horrendous deeds you could ever imagine are being done to people every moment of every day. It breaks my heart. I am a mother, and that will always be first in my life and my motherly love plays out often, in my action taken each day here “on the interwebz”! We often hear about cyber weapons and cyber attacks against critical infrastructure.
Do you believe it is real the risk of a major and lethal cyber attack against a critical infrastructure?
Absolutely. This is a cyber war that has just begun. We are up against some of the most dangerous individuals when speaking of cyber war. It’s not if, but when (as I’ve heard before) will they be able to accomplish something so devastating & what more can we do to stop something so devastating from happening. I have faith that they are being protected by some of our brightest minds, but that does not guarantee the absolute safety of critical infrastructure.
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(Security Affairs – VujāDéGhÖśt, Hacking)
