Matt DeHart’s Story
▻https://mattdehart.com/matts-story
▻https://nationalpostcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/dehart04-2.jpg?w=620
Matt DeHart grew up in a family with a military background. His father worked for the #NSA and his mother worked for the US Military as a linguist analysing signals intelligence. In the early 2000s, Matt became active online and developed his political outlook. He was involved with the image and messageboard website #4chan almost from its inception, and recruited 4chan members for a worldwide World of Warcraft #WoW guild. The hactivist group #Anonymous, which Matt became a part of, arose out of the online 4chan community.
In 2008, Matt joined the Indiana Air National Guard’s 181st Intelligence Wing, as an all-source intelligence analyst, eventually being granted a Top Secret security clearance. The unit operates Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or #drones. Meanwhile, Matt participated in online activism with Anonymous to support freedom of information. “Part of my job with Anonymous was I helped people communicate securely,” he said. “I would protect people from NSA spying.”
Matt administered a server associated with the #Tor hidden service known as the Shell Onion, providing anonymous shell accounts. While monitoring the server in 2009, he came across an unencrypted file containing an FBI investigation in illegal #CIA activities. Whilst he deleted that file, there was also an encrypted file of the same size and name on another server that he says was headed for #WikiLeaks. A few months later, Matt was honourably discharged from the Air Nation Guard, ostensibly for depression.