TRUSTNO1 :: Thorne Research Lab Breach? Stolen Files Leaked by Anonymous

Last month, the hacking group Anonymous released a mysterious 5MB ZIP file containing what appeared to be classified internal data from Thorne Research Corporation. It was available on a public FTP server for mere hours before it was taken down. It was rumored to have various blueprints, codebases, and internal memos with mentions of a Project Aurora.

I downloaded it. I read it. Here is what I found.

I am not going to pretend this is journalism. I am one person on a dial-up connection. But I know what I saw, and what I saw did not look like a hoax.

trc-files.zip
  |
  +-- BLUEPRINTS/
  |   +-- TRC-ENG-0071-B.pdf   [blueprint, labeled "Phase 1 array, tower B"]
  |   +-- TRC-ENG-0092-A.pdf   [blueprint, labeled "subsurface conduit routing"]
  |   +-- TRC-ENG-0107.pdf    [labeled "cranial interface housing — prototype C"]
  |   +-- TRC-ENG-0118-D.pdf   [blueprint, "resonance emitter array — DHB site"]
  |
  +-- CODEBASE/
  |   +-- sync_module_v3/
  |       [directory of C source files — did not have time to read]
  |   +-- aurora_init.sh      [shell script, 847 lines — partially read]
  |
  +-- INTERNAL-MEMOS/
  |   +-- memo_phase2_deploy.txt [READ — see excerpt below]
  |   +-- memo_funding_Q3.txt    [partially read]
  |   +-- memo_personnel_redact.txt [could not open — corrupted or encrypted]
  |
  +-- AURORA/                   [folder — could not fully explore before file went offline]
     +-- [contents unknown]

FROM: D. THORNE / EXEC OFFICE
TO: PROJECT LEADS — PHASE 2 WORKING GROUP
DATE: NOVEMBER 1999
RE: PHASE 2 DEPLOYMENT STATUS & SITE READINESS
CLASSIFICATION: INTERNAL — NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION

Team,

Quarterly review confirms all Phase 1 deliverables met or exceeded benchmarks. The array calibration at Site A returned within acceptable variance. DARPA liaison has confirmed continued funding through Q3 under PROGRAM CODE [REDACTED].

Re: DHB site — geological survey complete, recommend Phase 2 proceed as scheduled. Survey team flagged minor subsurface anomaly at sector 7-G but engineering review concluded it does not impact foundation integrity for the emitter array installation.

Personnel note: the three researchers who expressed concerns in the September review have been reassigned to the Marin facility on administrative leave. HR will handle their exit interviews.

All Phase 2 teams are reminded that discussions of project scope outside of designated secure channels are a termination-level violation of your NDA. This includes personal email, telephone, and internet communication.

Proceed on schedule.

– D. THORNE

trustno1 note: I want to be clear about what this says. They are threatening their own employees with termination (or worse) for talking about this project, even on personal email. That is not standard NDA language. And the three researchers who asked questions got "reassigned." Where, exactly?

Also: "DHB site" appears repeatedly in this memo and in the engineering blueprints. TRC-ENG-0118-D specifically says "resonance emitter array -- DHB site." I have no idea what DHB refers to. If you do, please leave a note in the guestbook (when it's back up).