When the Threat Model is the Fandom: My Little Pony OPSEC
Description
A screenshot of a social media post from Bluesky by user Aidan O'Brien (@aidanobrien.bsky.social) on a dark background with white text. The post, dated Jan 19, 2024, recounts the author's experience working on a 'My Little Pony' animated feature. He notes that the project had the 'most insane OPSEC/cybersecurity protocols' he had ever encountered. When he asked the head of IT for the reason, the blunt, two-word response was: 'Fucking Bronies'. The humor originates from the extreme and unexpected juxtaposition of a children's franchise with nation-state-level security measures. For a technical audience, it's a hilarious and relatable anecdote about threat modeling, where the perceived threat isn't a government or corporation, but a notoriously passionate and technically proficient online fanbase ('Bronies'), whose dedication to the franchise makes them a significant risk for leaks and intellectual property theft
Comments
23Comment deleted
Some companies buy zero-day exploits to protect their assets. The 'My Little Pony' IT department just monitors DeviantArt and knows that's a far greater threat to their IP
When your risk assessment escalates from APT-29 to APT-Brony, even the render farm ends up behind three jump hosts and an air gap
The most hardened security infrastructure I've ever seen wasn't protecting nuclear codes or financial systems - it was defending animated ponies from adults who would literally reverse-engineer render farms to get a 240p leak of Rainbow Dash three days early
When your threat model includes 'highly motivated fans with reverse engineering skills and unlimited free time,' you realize that sometimes the most sophisticated adversaries aren't nation-states or organized crime - they're passionate hobbyists who will absolutely find a way to extract those unreleased character models from your supposedly secure pipeline. The CISO's nightmare isn't always APT29; sometimes it's a distributed network of enthusiasts armed with Wireshark, determination, and an encyclopedic knowledge of animation file formats
Tightest OPSEC not in banks or nukes, but pony renders - because Bronies turn leaks into four-hoofed apocalypse
Only in studio threat models does bronies outrank APT29, so the render farm is air‑gapped, every frame forensically watermarked, and pushing dailies needs two‑person approval like a launch key
Threat modeling lesson: when your most motivated adversary is a fandom with infinite time and Wireshark, expect an air-gapped render farm, DLP on coffee cups, and a two-person rule to mount USB
Explain Comment deleted
Brownies can hack your ass Comment deleted
Is it another meme? Comment deleted
Bronies are group of 4chaners which some have backgrounds in IT and hacked some MLP media (leaked episodes and stuff) In post that is said that the mlp movie had tight cybersecurity against leaks and etc. That's what I got from post Comment deleted
Ah, ok, i didn't knew that they were already successfully leaking things... Comment deleted
They literally leaked half of the some final season Comment deleted
Shit, how it was not in my information bubble before Comment deleted
Bronies (singular : brony) are sick fu€ks who wanna fuck the ponies from my little pony Comment deleted
that wasn't the joke, but yea Comment deleted
I thought he doesn't know what bronies are Comment deleted
Adult males that watch my little pony and dress up in costumes Comment deleted
That i already have googled Comment deleted
Mostly IT professionals? Comment deleted
Even furries look more normal Comment deleted
That's the point, it's so fucked up even furries hate them Comment deleted
Don't underestimate Chris Chan Comment deleted