Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

White House Officials Tricked By Email Prankster (cnn.com)

Posted by msmash on from the security-is-hard dept.

Jake Tapper, reporting for CNN: A self-described "email prankster" in the UK fooled a number of White House officials into thinking he was other officials, including an episode where he convinced the White House official tasked with cyber security that he was Jared Kushner and received that official's private email address unsolicited. "Tom, we are arranging a bit of a soiree towards the end of August," the fake Jared Kushner on an Outlook account wrote to the official White House email account of Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert. "It would be great if you could make it, I promise food of at least comparible (sic) quality to that which we ate in Iraq. Should be a great evening." Bossert wrote back: "Thanks, Jared. With a promise like that, I can't refuse. Also, if you ever need it, my personal email is" (redacted). Bossert did not respond to CNN's request for comment; the email prankster said he was surprised Bossert responded given his expertise. The emails were shared with CNN by the email prankster. White House officials acknowledged the incidents and said they were taking the matter seriously. "We take all cyber related issues very seriously and are looking into these incidents further," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told CNN.

5 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. It will happen in any administration by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Informative

    Social engineering is easy and to be honest the "prankster" should be a bit more discreet in sharing the information.

    But it is very en vogue to be anti-trump so I guess putting this up on CNN and acting like this is the first administration that fell for this sort of scheme is the right thing to do. /S

    1. Re:It will happen in any administration by Maritz · · Score: 4, Informative

      "En vogue". lol. The guy redacted the email address. What other information came out of this, apart from revealing the incompetence of a Homeland Security adviser?

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
  2. Re: He's gonna end up in some camp. by Maritz · · Score: 3, Informative

    Lauri Love might care to differ. The UK hands people over the US regularly, and ignores humanitarian concerns when doing so. There was another guy a few years before that, think his condition was more severe than this one.

    --
    I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
  3. Re:Prank vs. Cyberattack by Maritz · · Score: 2, Informative

    One bloke in the UK = the UK did it? This place gets dumber all the time. Holy shit you live in a fucking cartoon world, dumbass.

    --
    I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
  4. [Suspected Spam] by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    It was tagged [Suspected Spam], how could it NOT have been a legit email?

    How much stupider can these people get?