Senators Grill Pompeo on Vulnerable Cybersecurity at State Department (axios.com)

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Senators Grill Pompeo on Vulnerable Cybersecurity at State Department (axios.com)

Posted by msmash on Wednesday September 12, 2018 @04:45AM from the holding-accountable dept.

A bipartisan cadre of senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday calling out the department's poor adoption of multi-factor authentication. From a report: Multi-factor authentication requires users to take an additional protective step when logging into an account -- often a physical key or a biometric scan. Beyond being a good practice for federal agencies, multi-factor authentication is also the law for all high-level government accounts. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Rand Paul (R-Kent.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H) pointed to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found only 11% of required agency devices had enhanced security.

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Mmm, shizh kebabs! by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 04:47 · Score: 0, Troll

Now we can put that TRAITOR TRUMP on the barbie next.
HRC/2020
1. Re:Mmm, shizh kebabs! by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 05:27 · Score: 0
  
  Why would we want to elect a family of serial killers to office again?
2. Re: Mmm, shizh kebabs! by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 07:03 · Score: 0
  
  I can't believe the biggest serial killer in history still isn't behind bars. All because she's a women in power. Sickening. /s
About Hillary's email server... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 04:50 · Score: 1, Informative

Ahhh, too soon? Too easy!
1. Re: About Hillary's email server... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 05:15 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Hillary's server may have been compromised
  Donald Trump has been compromised
2. Re: About Hillary's email server... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 05:26 · Score: 0
  
  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/intelligence-committee-probe-finds-trump-russia-collusion-180427155912593.html
3. Re: About Hillary's email server... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 05:38 · Score: 0
  
  > Hillary's server may have been compromised
  Right, because there's no way foreign intelligence could hijack a Microsoft Exchange server with classified intelligence on North Korea, among other things, on it? I'm sure they were just privately worried to request after-the-fact declassification ("it's now public [from our own emails], so it doesn't need to be classified now, right?") for no reason at all.
  Because the foreign intelligence also doesn't want emails from President Obama (nobody will EVER figure out that clever "Bob Ama" alias), right? And that's totally not a way to cheat FOIA, either. Oh, sorry, you asked for emails from B. Obama, we don't have any. What a pity you didn't know to ask about FOIA discoverable emails from Bob Ama, Carlos Danger (Anthony Wiener), Diane Reynolds (Chelsea Clinton) or any of these other fine folks!
  Oh wait, sorry, CNN didn't tell you about any of those things, so only those of us who read the damned emails even know what's in there. You can mumble something about Russia and carry on with your day, never mind that I've never been there, facts don't matter to you guys, or you'd have seen all this on Wikileaks, DKIM validated the emails (pulling the signing key from Hillary's own DNS server) to assure yourself they weren't edited, or even read the emails from the FBI Vault (assuming you know what that is). Helpfully, Google will bury any results from searching for these items under a hundred WaPo/CNN/etc. articles so you can even pretend the data doesn't exist! Funny how other search engines find the primary sources as top results. Guess they didn't like those emails about Google in there, either.
  An anonymous source familiar with your thinking tells me that you probably won't bother ever looking at primary sources, though.
4. Re: About Hillary's email server... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 05:48 · Score: 0
  
  "CNN didn't tell you about any of those things" - Because they aren't facts? That's kind of your ongoing issue, Trumpies. The FBI/DOJ has no public evidence her server was hacked, even as possible as it is.
  By the same token, up until a few weeks ago nobody could credibly say the Trump administration colluded with Russian intelligence, until that evidence was made public and the President changed his story - again.
  "Mueller brand fine ropes - the best you can hang from!"
5. Re: About Hillary's email server... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 06:29 · Score: 0
  
  > Because they aren't facts?
  He made numerous claims, which of them aren't facts? The email aliases? The FOIA run-arounds? Those seem pretty factual. Where is the lie?
6. Re: About Hillary's email server... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 06:31 · Score: 0
  
  > Because they aren't facts? That's kind of your ongoing issue, Trumpies.
  We can read the emails, doofus. And we can DKIM validate them to see what was said. You can pull the damned key for that from Hillary's DNS server, even. You tell me why nobody bats an eye when "Diane Reynolds" signs her emails as Chelsea Clinton, including some to her own mother. They respond normally, rather than a "who the hell are you?" Funny.
  Where's your evidence, anyhow? Someone getting a plea deal that includes something that wasn't even a crime? Tax charges from working with the Podesta Group with a guy who was let off the hook to testify against you and who admitted to lying on the stand?
7. Re: About Hillary's email server... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 08:42 · Score: 0
  
  Found the libtard. How much does the Soros Clinton Foundation pay you to spread false information on our Slashdot.Org?
8. Re: About Hillary's email server... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 09:53 · Score: 0
  
  The server was not compromised. The country is being compromised.
lock her up by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 04:51 · Score: 0

lol
you tell him! by cascadingstylesheet · 2018-09-12 04:52 · Score: 1

In biting tones, Booker said "look, it's go 100% two-factor, or put the servers in your bathroom, Mr. Secretary!"
1. Re:you tell him! by ScentCone · 2018-09-12 04:58 · Score: 2
  
  In biting tones, Booker said "look, it's go 100% two-factor, or put the servers in your bathroom, Mr. Secretary!"
  I recommend the new Spartacus firewall. It blocks everything except pompous middle-school quality theatricality.
  
  --
  Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
About time by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 04:55 · Score: 0

About time they do this. It's sickening to read about all the crap that went on before, like when Colin Powell conspired with Hillary on how to get away with using their unsecured Blackberries and subvert the reporting and FOIA requirements as well.
1. Re:About time by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 05:02 · Score: 0
  
  After the shit show of the current administration, everything historical pales in comparison
About Trump Junior dying in Federal prison... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 04:55 · Score: 0

Mueller will see you now, treasonous quaking faggots caught in perjury traps of your own fabrication...
Love that Wyden by Tinsoldier314 · 2018-09-12 05:05 · Score: 3, Interesting

Seems like every time I see the Senate doing something rational regarding tech, the internet, net neutrality, etc., Ron Wyden is involved or leading the charge. I appreciate his track record on this kind of thing. I think he should be honored as a defacto Slashdotter.
1. Re: Love that Wyden by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 05:12 · Score: 0
  
  None to oddly, he is often negatively portrayed on Rusky TV.
2. Re: Love that Wyden by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 06:20 · Score: 0, Interesting
  
  Wyden the establishment con man who supports repealing the First Amendment.
  
  Of course, the botnetted modpoints will go to mod +5 to anyone supporting a repeal of the Bill of Rights.
3. Re: Love that Wyden by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 07:06 · Score: 0
  
  LOL. Say it with me...
  Businesses are NOT THE GOVERNMENT!
4. Re: Love that Wyden by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 09:00 · Score: 0
  
  I was unaware that Wyden is not part of the government.
That is tough questioning by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 05:22 · Score: 0

Well not that anyone will die, no countries will be invaded, innocent people won't be droned, ambassadors will be unharmed, and he is not using a personal server to illegally hide communications. I mean anyone who was SoS and did all that would have to be corrupt.
Just move everything to clintonemail.com by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 05:30 · Score: 0

Problem solved.
Tillerson knew by charliemerritt03 · 2018-09-12 05:43 · Score: 1

F*cking Moron(s)
Podesta got spearphished.
Dpt of State doesn't get TFA.
45 with a nonsecured iphone.
When will basic cybersecurity classes begin?
Don't allow anyone in .gov near a computer till at least 2 class hours and a passed "driver's test". (Any government).
1. Re:Tillerson knew by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 05:58 · Score: 0
  
  Lots of experts get spearphished, it has happened. Stop whining and draft up some legislation, smurf.
2. Re:Tillerson knew by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 06:49 · Score: 0
  
  Podesta's password was password according to Assange. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/assange-tells-hannity-that-podestas-password-was-um-password-2017-01-04
Let them ... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 06:31 · Score: 0

Tell you what, make the State department use the kind of encryption and security which has the back-doors in it that law enforcement and intelligence agencies want us to use. In fact, force them.
And then when they tell us they can't use those things because of the weakened security, they can bloody well explain why they expect us to.
Honestly though, if there is a law mandating it, and they've not done it .. then maybe it's time to start punishing them for shitty security which is now apparently illegal.
Infowars is faggot shit for morons. Get tested. by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 06:40 · Score: 1

You seem to be stupid. You think that's a link to information on the topic, lol.
+1 Insightful by mccrew · 2018-09-12 07:04 · Score: 1

Wish I had some mod points for you today, AC.

--
Hey, Windows users, there is no such thing as "forward" slash, there is only slash and backslash.
The Troll is Strong with This One by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 07:34 · Score: 0

Meps.
1. Re:The Troll is Strong with This One by najajomo · 2018-09-12 09:32 · Score: 1
  
  > The Troll is Strong with This One .. Meps.
  
  Yea, I've noticed .. sad .. covfefe :[
TFA vs TFA by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-12 07:59 · Score: 0

Color this ironic, as things often are when it comes to acronyms. Two factor authentication or Twenty Fifth Amendment?
Of course, the state department by ArylAkamov · 2018-09-12 10:23 · Score: 1

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The state department sure has a long history of spies and security issues.
1. Re:Of course, the state department by rtb61 · 2018-09-12 18:56 · Score: 1
  
  What would you expect, the US state department, seems to be mainly about selling the bits and pieces of the US government to the highest bidder via lobbyist sales reps. Want a army for a dirty war, for sale cheap (quite public about that), contact the appropriate lobbyists, who will set you up with the foundation donation links to buy access. Want to out right buy a piece of land not for sale, no worries, contact you nearest US lobbyists, who will establish fiscal links to buy the coup you want, pay only ten cents on the dollar for the coup as long as that ten cents on the dollar is going to members of the state department and their lobbyists reps and wham the Crimea is yours. Want weapons, they have any weapons you want, contact your US lobbyist friend, terrorist schmemorist, you want those weapons, they'll get them for you, even for free if you pay those lobbyists and their state department contacts enough.
  The US state department, it's where you go to corruptly buy the US government, contact your nearest friendly US lobbyist for full details, it's all for sale, cheap, well not so cheap but way cheaper for them to steal it from the US taxpayer, than you having to pay the full cost, so a real bargain.
  The US state department has a pretty long history of being entirely corrupt. You name it they will sell it, although I imagine the price on nukes is pretty high but they will sell you the plans, the materials and parts and get the US government to look the other way on the whole spread of nuclear weapons treaty thingy, pay to play at the US state department. Now if Russian and China would stop being so stingy and just pay off US lobbyists to pay off the US state department, we could have a bit more peace around here. Although I suppose Africa terrorism is going to become the new hotbed of US arms sales and maybe still South America. Then there is the whole life boat Australia thingy managed out of the US state department for old UE/EU money, sort of still limping along.
  
  --
  Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
And, of course by Anonymous Coward · 2018-09-13 02:40 · Score: 0

The Senate agreed to fund the additional cost of implementing and maintain 2FA across the entire government sector because they understood it was not free