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Russian Hackers Targeted More Than 200 Journalists Globally (apnews.com)

The Associated Press: Russian television anchor Pavel Lobkov was in the studio getting ready for his show when jarring news flashed across his phone: Some of his most intimate messages had just been published to the web. Days earlier, the veteran journalist had come out live on air as HIV-positive, a taboo-breaking revelation that drew responses from hundreds of Russians fighting their own lonely struggles with the virus. Now he'd been hacked. The Associated Press found that Lobkov was targeted by the hacking group known as Fancy Bear in March 2015, nine months before his messages were leaked. He was one of at least 200 journalists, publishers and bloggers targeted by the group as early as mid-2014 and as recently as a few months ago. The AP identified journalists as the third-largest group on a hacking hit list obtained from cybersecurity firm Secureworks, after diplomatic personnel and U.S. Democrats. About 50 of the journalists worked at The New York Times. Another 50 were either foreign correspondents based in Moscow or Russian reporters like Lobkov who worked for independent news outlets. Others were prominent media figures in Ukraine, Moldova, the Baltics or Washington.

21 of 72 comments (clear)

  1. Re: And how many did or has the CIA hacked? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    That's right, there's no evidence that Russian hackers exist, let alone go round hacking journalists or the DNC or anyone at all. President Putin says he doesn't do that kind of thing and his word is good enough for me, even if he did have his fingers crossed at the time.

  2. Re: Fancy Bear? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Because "Putin's pals" was thought to be too provocative.

  3. Re:And how many did or has the CIA hacked? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Tell you what, how about you research how many journalists have been hacked by the CIA and post a separate article here on Slashdot with the details of their nefarious deeds?

    Otherwise, your redirection smells of whataboutism.

  4. Re:Not Just US by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Yes, but the largest single group in the target list were New York Times reporters (and I assume that many of the other "foreign journalists based in Moscow" were probably American), so I'd say that America is pretty high on Russia's hit list.

  5. Re: Fancy Bear? by Demena · · Score: 1

    Probably sounds different and has different connotations in Russian

  6. Re:You asked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    He said submit another story. Thanks for confirming that you're just playing the whatabout card to defend Putin though.

  7. Russia! Russia! Russia! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Ow, my nose! You broke my nose!

  8. Fancy Bear and Snowden by Martin+S. · · Score: 4, Insightful

    On the same day Snowden releases his spy app.

    Um, no connection here, nothing to see, move on.

    1. Re:Fancy Bear and Snowden by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You're trying to tie a physical location security system to russian online hacking?

      Oh, Snowden is in Russia!

      This is Russian Hacking!

      Therefore they must be related.

      Did you turn it off and on again??

  9. Re:You asked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Of course hacking journalists is evil. The attempt to excuse the transgressions by one group by pointing out similar deeds of an opposing group is the problem here. I am quite aware of the evidence of the many unethical practices of the CIA, that is why I asked it to be posted to separate article.

  10. I saved $2000 in taxes by switching to Trump by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Why? There have been HUNDREDS in the past few years that have all been ignored, including lying to a FISA court to wiretap an opposition campaign.

    However, this comes along and look at all the Trump bashers, when it has nothing to do with Trump.
    Rigging an election? That was the DNC primary.
    Colluding with Russia during an election? Again Clinton.
    Selling Uranium to Russia? Clinton once again.
    Spying illegally on US reporters? That was Obama that did it to Rosen and the AP.

    I'm noticing a patter here of DNC and Clinton actually doing the things you idiots blame Trump for.

    Meanwhile... I will pay $2000 less in taxes next year and NOT have the president calling me deplorable. I think I win.

  11. Re:And how many did or has the CIA hacked? by hey! · · Score: 1

    Lobokov is a Russian journalist who is sometimes critical of the Russian government. How does the *prior probability* that the FSB might want to leak embarrassing information on him compare to the prior probability that the CIA would?

    This is typical conspiracy theorist thinking: choose a culprit, and then argue from the *possibility* of their having done it, ignoring that it would actually be against their interests.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  12. It's the sequel to Sticky Bear Bob by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    on the Apple II. The Sticky Bear community has waited years for this. HD Graphics, real time weapon change, the works.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  13. Re:These poor "Journalists" by Jason+Levine · · Score: 2

    Let's not forget that the Bush Administration was manufacturing the lies in the first place. They wanted the war in the first place.

    The origins of the Iraq War actually date back to at least the first Bush administration and Kuwait. After Iraq invaded Kuwait and we helped liberate it, many in Bush's administration called on him to keep pushing on into Iraq and topple Saddam Hussein. Bush Sr rightly saw that this would lead to a quagmire and refused to do so. Many of those warmongers found places in Bush Jr's administration and pushed for the Iraq War again after 9-11. This time, unfortunately, the Bush in office wasn't smart enough to see through the lies and approved the Iraq War. Had he been as good as his father, he would have rejected these calls, would have concentrated on Afghanistan and Al Qaeda/the Taliban, and might have ended the conflict much sooner.

    --
    My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
  14. What's New? A Treasonous President. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    In the past when Russia attacked our country we didn't have any traitors like Donald Trump use their high political office to encourage, reward, and defend Russia's attacks on America.

    Even worse, deplorables have taken a short break from promoting bigotry and racism to excuse and defend Trump's treasonous collusion with Russia's attacks on America.

    1. Re:What's New? A Treasonous President. by HornWumpus · · Score: 2

      Bullshit. The CP USA was funded by Stalin. KGB archives are open now. They could lie about it then, but it's just a _fact_ now.

      Was supported by traitors like Sanders and Obama's mom. Both known reds, Sanders took his wife to Lenin's tomb for their honeymoon...

      I will say there are a decent number of clear thinkers that were raised as 'red diaper babies', Horowitz is a prime example.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  15. Re:These poor "Journalists" by HornWumpus · · Score: 2

    The origins of the Sunni/Shia war date back to about the year 850AD.

    Prior to the current flare up, it was last seen in the Iran/Iraq war that was managed (stalemated) under Reagan. By the same people that did the 'mideast' for Bush 2.

    Getting two enemies (basically Iran backed Shias, and Saudi backed Sunnis) to fight each other is a great outcome. So long as we can keep them fighting and stalemated, they are occupied.

    Of course nobody can say this outloud in DC or it doesn't work...

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  16. Fuck off, IVAN by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Yeah, sure - let's just get our news from Russia's propaganda outlets like Moscow Donald and the deplorable traitors who support his collusion with Russia's attacks on America.

  17. Re:Fuck off, TRAITOR by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

    Never change snowflake.

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  18. Re:These poor "Journalists" by Mashiki · · Score: 1

    Many of those warmongers found places in Bush Jr's administration and pushed for the Iraq War again after 9-11. This time, unfortunately, the Bush in office wasn't smart enough to see through the lies and approved the Iraq War. Had he been as good as his father, he would have rejected these calls, would have concentrated on Afghanistan and Al Qaeda/the Taliban, and might have ended the conflict much sooner.

    And let's not forget, that while the republicans were purging those neocons out of the party, the democrats were welcoming them with open arms. Hugh Hewitt, David Frum, and so on are very happily welcomed by the progressives and democrats as tea party groups were busy purging them.

    --
    Om, nomnomnom...
  19. Your ignorance ... by Martin+S. · · Score: 1

    Your ignorance of the connections between Fancy Bear and Snowden is your problem, not mine.