Major Embarrassment for MediaDefender
Major Embarrassment for MediaDefender
September 17, 2007: Internet security company, MediaDefender has had a massive security breech, with over 700 MB of sensitive company emails being leaked along with phone conversation records and tracking database.
MediaDefender is in the business of stopping the spread of pirated movies, music and video games for high paying clients who want to protect their copyrighted material. This in effect means they are a frontline player in the war on illegal file distribution which occurs largely on ‘Peer 2 Peer’ networks, newsgroups and IRC channels.
‘Peer 2 peer’ (P2P) networks get their name from the idea that the network runs from one person (or peer) to another, in effect creating the network between each individual user instead of all the data coming from a central server. These networks have quite a large number of legal uses, the most famous of which is currently BitTorrent, a technology for sharing P2P files before they are finished so you are in effect ‘seeding’ the data from the very moment you start downloading, in effect giving as much as you take.
BitTorrent is an extremely popular way for companies to distribute new files and patches for download as it means the data costs are shared across all the users who want them, as opposed to paying massive data bills to internet service providers to send it all out from their own server.
Unfortunately due to how simple it is to distribute copyrighted material as well as legally shareable material on such networks, they are a hive of illegal activity as well as having the legitimate applications. All this gives rise to the shady reputation BitTorrent has been associated with, and what has erupted into a war between companies such as MediaDefender who deliberately attempt to sabotage online P2P networks with fake uploads and corrupted files, with software pirates and self-proclaimed freedom fighters trying to encourage the free exchange of data.
The massive email leak reported on TorrentFreak reveals that several claims made against MediaDefender which were vigorously denied by the security company have turned out to be true:
- MediaDefender purchased the rights to the domain www.p2p.net off ebay, allegedly to setup a fake P2P site in order to trap software pirates. This was redirected to TorrentFreak’s own article about the purchase in order to avoid the topic
- MediaDefender denied seting up their own video upload service, known as Miivi, which was allegedly designed to entice users into uploading copyrighted material and then bust them for doing so
- Several emails originating from MediaDefender’s Managing Director, Randy Saaf prove that running Miivi and the www.p2p.net purchase were secretly carried out by MediaDefender staff.
A group known as “Media-DefenderDefenders” claimed responsibility for the leak and have announced that further information about the security company will follow. In addition to the email leak came a recorded phone conversation voicing concerns about their network protection as well as a record of MediaDefenders tracking database used to stop the spread of piracy.