So, Who Was the Ashley Madison Hacker?

Netflix recently released a three-part documentary titled, "Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal." This isn't really a review of it but I'd recommend giving it a viewing as it is pretty interesting. Ashely Madison is a site (it still exists) that got a lot of attention for being designed to help married folks cheat. A lot of folks who worked there or had their lives ruined (or sometimes weirdly improved) by the site are interviewed. The documentary makes it clear cheating on your spouse isn't a good idea, but is careful not to, "Throw stones," at people either, instead focusing on the site, the attention it got, the money it made, and what happened when it was hacked in 2015. Having watched the show, that is what really sticks with me the most. You see, we don't know who the hacker was, all these years later.

Some person or group named, "Impact Team," hacked Ashely Madison and demanded it shut down or it would leak everyone's data who used the site (and later on people who worked there too). The threat was made good on, obviously, and a lot of lives were ruined. Then the Impact Team...just disappeared. The documentary discusses how this just doesn't happen. Usually, a hacker or group of hackers continue hacking with some kind of agenda be it monetary, political, or whatever. Impact Team came from nowhere, engaged in a hack that made international headlines, then vanished. This is simply unheard of, but it happened. Nobody ever turned on fellow members of the team for money (there were massive rewards offered if the hackers could be stopped) or fame. Could it have been a single person? Did they work as Ashley Madison? Were they cheated on by a spouse? Was it a religious zealot outraged at the idea of a website facilitating affairs? A teenager mad Ashely Madison broke their parents up? We don't know, still!

People these days seem to crave recognition for the things they do, good or bad. How could a hacking team or individual do something this massive and then just keep it to themselves? I mean, they obviously don't want to face jail time, but they never slipped up? Ever? How? It just bugs me that we still don't know who hacked Ashley Madison as that was one of the biggest breaches of internet security in recent memory. Perhaps someday a few folks or a single person will come forward and say, "Yeah, I did it, and here's why," but for now, it is a huge mystery and it annoys me as someone who actually likes to know all the twists and turns in a story. I don't mind knowing how a tale ends and it is weird for us to all not know who a major player in the story of Ashley Madison's downfall could be. I want my spoilers, in other words, but aren't getting them anytime soon it would appear! It stinks, but I'd still recommend watching, "Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal," as it's a fascinating little docu-series.