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Feds Looking Into Reports CIA Director's Email Was Hacked (nbcnews.com)
An anonymous reader writes: The FBI and Secret Service are looking into reports that non-government personal accounts of CIA Director John Brennan and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson were hacked. NBC reports: "Questions over a possible hacking of a private email account belonging to the CIA director arose late on Sunday after the New York Post published a story in which a hacker claimed to have gained access to the account. Described by the Post as a 'stoner high school student,' the individual claimed to have taken documents that included the Social Security numbers of top intelligence officials, among other information."
ComputerWorld's story on the hack describes some of the images published by the hacker as well, poking fun at Brennan: Another screenshot shows Brennan’s wireless phone bill as the hacker taunted the CIA to “step your game up homies, we own everything of you.” One tweet contains a screenshot of suspicious activity logs as Brennan was “trying to get CWA arrested.” Yet another shows a CIA Office of General Counsel fax cover page. Supposedly, Brennan offered the hacker money to “leave him alone.”
In the Snowden aftermath, why is that everything upper level NSA/CIA/government officials do is not surveilled by the general public and made available to the public?
After all, if they can do it to us, then the senators who voted for the program and the NSA officials who implemented it ought to be fair game, no?
People they sit next to in restaurants should secretly record their conversations. Their ISPs should publish their emails. Their nextdoor neighbors should upload video of their houses. Terrorists are everywhere these days, and you can't be too careful. If they have done nothing wrong, than they should have nothing to fear or hide.
Why was this voted down? Even his Wiki page says he was a Democrat fundraiser.
The problem is that the ONLY people who can use email this way would have to be 100% certain that no one sending them anything will ever betray them.
And that gets even more ludicrous when you're talking about a PUBLIC email service.
Do you think that China and Russia and everyone else does NOT have people working at GMail and Yahoo! and Verizon and so forth?
If they don't have direct access to the public email servers then I'm sure they have access to the ISP's feeding those email servers.
ENCRYPTION! Use it. Love it. Because they really are out to get you.
Exactly. My coworker had several security clearances, and every time he went up for a new one he had to sign a confession admitting that he had been busted for possession in the Bahamas because someone handed him a lit joint just before a cop walked up. They're not so much concerned with what you've done, just that it's a matter of public record so that you can't be blackmailed for it. This was the main reasons why "Don't ask, don't tell" was the worst possible policy for security - people that can immediately and irrevocably lose their entire career because of a single incident of homosexual conduct are easy targets for blackmailers!
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
Because maybe when a white dude who had a 25 year career with the CIA gets hacked too, it's not all that relevant.
you appoint someone like Jeh Johnson, who was a former Democrat fundraiser, for his political connections rather than his ability.
Uh yes it is relevant. "ability" includes technical abilities which is directly related to hackability. So get over yourself and stick with the facts.
Because maybe when a white dude who had a 25 year career with the CIA gets hacked too, it's not all that relevant.
you appoint someone like Jeh Johnson, who was a former Democrat fundraiser, for his political connections rather than his ability.
Uh yes it is relevant. "ability" includes technical abilities which is directly related to hackability. So get over yourself and stick with the facts.
Fact: The assertion was that the Jeh Johnson was hacked because he was not qualified and was appointed to his position because of his political connections. Yet, a 25 year veteran of the CIA who wasn't appointed, was also hacked. So the assertion doesn't hold.
Fact: Another post went on to suggest that Jeh Johnson was selected because of his race and that somehow contributed to the problem. Yet John Brennan was also hacked and he is white. Again, a failure of logic.
Fact: Describing Jeh Johnson as a fundraiser who got the position due to his political connections rather than ability is highly misleading. He has a law degree from Columbia University. He was general council of the Air Force where he received the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian service. He went on to be the General Counsel for the Department of Defense before becoming the Secretary for Homeland Security. Clearly the man is no idiot who was highly placed in organizations charged with our defense prior to his most recent appointment. Not only did he hold those positions but he received an accommodation for his work.
Is he a techie? Probably not, but his job was to run the organization, not be a network administrator. Technical skills likely aren't a big factor in what qualifies one for the job. Should he have known better? Yes, but lots of people who get hacked, have their identity stolen, or whatever should have known better. The problem goes deeper than how department secretaries typically get appointed and whether they are black or not.