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FBI E-Mail Server Breached

voma writes "The FBI said Friday it has shut down an e-mail system that it uses to communicate with the public because of a possible security breach. The bureau is investigating whether someone hacked into the www.fbi.gov e-mail system, which is run by a private company, officials said. 'We use these accounts to communicate with you folks, view internet sites, and conduct other non-sensitive bureau business such as sending out press releases,' Special Agent Steve Lazarus, the FBI's media coordinator in Atlanta, said in an e-mail describing the problem."

16 of 223 comments (clear)

  1. Look at this spam I just got today by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    From: rmueller@fbi.gov
    To: anonymouscoward@slashdot.org
    Subject: The FBI can help you!

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  2. Request by mingot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Neal, when you post an article like this the only thing anyone cares about is what OS (and especially if it was microsoft) got ownz0red. Please try to put this information in the summary. Thank you.

  3. How? by The+Grey+Clone · · Score: 5, Funny

    How was this said in an e-mail if their e-mail server was down?

    1. Re:How? by liquidsin · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm more interested in how they use an email account to view internet sites...

      --
      do not read this line twice.
    2. Re:How? by VB · · Score: 5, Funny

      It came from fbipressrelease723@hotmail.com

      --
      www.dedserius.com
      VB != VisualBasic
  4. And as a followup... by Tackhead · · Score: 4, Funny
    > "We use these accounts to communicate with you folks, view internet sites, and conduct other non-sensitive bureau business such as sending out press releases," Special Agent Steve Lazarus, the FBI's media coordinator in Atlanta, said in an e-mail describing the problem.

    In a followup e-mail describing the problem, Special Agent Laz Steverus said "No sensitive information was compromised, but today is a good time to remind citizens that the FBI is in posession of approximately 22,000,000,000 (TWENTY TWO BILLION DOLLARS) in uncollected judicial judgements from spammers, a portion of which we're trying to return to you folks. Just visit our web site, and read our press release, and it will instruct you in how to help us get this money back to you..."

  5. Cool name. by Gulik · · Score: 5, Funny

    Man, what I wouldn't give to be "Special Agent Lazarus." Everything you do sounds cool -- I mean, it might be an utterly boring document about e-mail usage, but you still get to call it "the Lazarus Report."

    1. Re:Cool name. by rxmd · · Score: 5, Funny
      Man, what I wouldn't give to be "Special Agent Lazarus." Everything you do sounds cool -- I mean, it might be an utterly boring document about e-mail usage, but you still get to call it "the Lazarus Report."
      Even better: when you die, you're brought back to life by Special Agent Jesus!
      --
      As a state gets corrupt, its laws multiply; the most corrupt states have the most numerous laws. (Tacitus, Annales 3:27)
  6. FBI raids themselves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The FBI reportedly surrounded the building (after leaving it) and broke down the front door, only after realizing they had the keys. They confiscated the computers and surrounding evidence for further investigation. "It must be an insider doing the hacking, these systems were secure." said agent r0\/ l337zki.

  7. In other news... by teledyne · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... the FBI, for a short time, became mysteriously more productive within the span of 12 hours. Some say that their coffee was spiked with a new secret uber-caffeine, while others say a lack of spam in their e-mail boxes allowed them to work more freely.

    Not only that, but personnel over at the Central Intelligence Agency as well as the National Security Agency have also become more friendlier. One employee was noted saying, "Thank God! I was so fucking tired of those guys sending me pics of Goatse!"

  8. Non Event by I8TheWorm · · Score: 4, Informative

    The key phrases are run by a private company and We use these accounts to communicate with you folks, view internet sites, and conduct other non-sensitive bureau business such as sending out press releases.

    I'm sure, like the NSA, that the FBI has (at least) two networks. One that is internal only for confidential/sensitive communication/files, and one for outside communication such as this one. At the NSA, they are completely seperate, with no ability to copy/move files from one to the other.

    --
    Saying Android is a family of phones is akin to saying Linux is a family of PCs.
  9. Oh shoot by SilverspurG · · Score: 4, Funny

    How was I supposed to know?

    I'm sitting here in the training cubicle. The guy in the cube next to me decides to check his voicemail... ON SPEAKERPHONE. After he dials in his password (for the entire office to hear) I call softly over the cube wall,"I now have your password."

    A tense silence followed, and I could tell that the general perception was "Yeah right--you're just the new guy."

    So I brought up my handy DTMF generator and started replaying his password over and over (at a low volume, but just loud enough so that people in adjacent cubes could hear).

    How was I supposed to know that he had the Admin password for the e-mail server stored in his voicemail?

    At the same time... What sort of dumbass checks their voice mail on speakerphone in public office space?

    --
    fast as fast can be. you'll never catch me.
  10. No sensitive information? Re-think that by flinxmeister · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I have worked with FBI agents on a few things, and I can't imagine this email server didn't have sensitive info flow through it.

    I'm sure it's FBI policy to avoid it, but it's like a bank...how many people do you think send account numbers, SSN's, etc. to a bank via email? Do you think most people are going to see "fbi.gov" and not think it's safe to email them?

    Regardless of what they say, IF this server was compromised, I bet the attacker saw all sorts of interesting things. It's not their fault, but it's probably more serious than they are letting on.

  11. Or did he? by NMerriam · · Score: 5, Funny

    Special Agent Steve Lazarus, the FBI's media coordinator in Atlanta, said in an e-mail describing the problem.

    Is this some sort of intelligence test? You get an email press release from someone saying the email account they use for press releases isn't reliable?

    --
    Recursive: Adj. See Recursive.
  12. Re:are you sure? by grub · · Score: 5, Funny


    and not somebody named 133thaxxor?

    My name is Lee Thaxxor, you insensitive clod!

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  13. zerg by Lord+Omlette · · Score: 4, Funny

    Out of curiosity, does the FBI have any "normal" agents? Cause if they're all "special" agents, are they really that special?

    --
    [o]_O