BREAKING: DNS and host provider Epik Software hacked by Anonymous

An update to this story is available: Anonymous hack of Epik reveals a devastating amount of information

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the amount of data hacked is 180GB.

[Sammamish, Wash.] – (MTN) Sammamish, Washington based Epik Sofware, the controversial DNS and host provider for websites and apps such as Parler, Gab, and 8Chan was breached by the hacker group Anonymous. The organization announced they were able to access and download ten years of data, with most of it unencrypted. In a message posted by the group, they provided details to access founder Rob Monster’s e-mails, as proof of their claims.

Epik Software provides hosting and DNS to thousands of websites, most involved in the dark corners of the web that spread hate, discuss and plan domestic terrorism, platform QAnon conspiracies, and spread disinformation. A DNS is similar to the physical address of a home or business. Websites use an IP address, which could be thought of as latitude and longitude for a physical location. Most people won’t navigate to an address using that data and instead will look for “100 Main Street.” A DNS provider enables a URL (or multiple URLs) to point to an IP to a common URL.

The potential information on the people or business behind sites such as Parler, Gab, The Storm Front, prolifewhistleblower, 8Chan, BitChute, and Patriot.win, to list a few. Additionally, Anonymous is claiming they have passwords, internal communications, and other data going back ten years. For some sites and apps such as Parler, most information is already known. The bigger reveal could expose thousands of people involved in websites that peddle suicide advice, medical misinformation, and support QAnon.

One-hundred-and-eighty gigabytes of compressed data were released and currently, several sources are working to verify the data and make it usable for researchers and journalists.

The company based out of Sammamish, Washington, and run by Rob Monster, operates under the banner of protecting First Amendment rights. However, the company has a history of not cooperating with criminal investigations when websites have crossed lines into potential criminal behavior.

The company recently made headlines for providing DNS services to the Texas website prolifewhistleblower, after GoDaddy booted the site. The website was created so people could report anyone helping a Texas resident gain access to an abortion, and earn a $10,000 bounty. Less than a week after Epik became the DNS, their legal team also dropped the website. GoDaddy has offices in Kirkland, Washington.

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