"Anonymous" Hacks Palin's Private Email 1733
netbuzz writes "'Anonymous,' best known for its jousts with Scientology, has apparently hacked Sarah Palin's private Yahoo email account. Contents, including sample emails, an index, and family photos, have been posted by Wikileaks, which calls them evidence that the GOP vice presidential candidate has improperly used private email to shield government business from public scrutiny." Note that there is no easy way to tell if the material on Wikileaks is genuine or a hoax. Update by J : Genuine.
I've looked. Check Gawker (Score:4, Informative)
So far only two emails, some personal photos, a contact list and some inbox screenshots have been posted. Nothing incriminating.
Row row (Score:4, Informative)
Confirmed by her campaign (Score:5, Informative)
It has been confirmed by her campaign and Amy McCorkell, the sender of one of the emails that has been posted.
Re:No way to tell? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:The crossed the line this time (Score:5, Informative)
This was on CNN a few minutes ago and they confirmed that the Secret Service was already involved in the investigation.
Re:The crossed the line this time (Score:2, Informative)
Re:I've looked. Check Gawker (Score:5, Informative)
I'm fairly certain that this is legit. I'm also fairly certain that members of Anonymous are not all based in the USA and may or may not have anything to fear from the Secret Service.
However, one of the features of a Yahoo Mail account is the ability to download a backup copy of your mailbox as a single file. I believe the file format is the one used by Outlook Express, rather than the more universal .mbox format, but still, if the "hackers" didn't think to grab everything, I would be shocked.
I'd be willing to bet that someone out in internet land has a copy of Sarah Palin's whole mail spool right now.
Re:Confirmed by her campaign (Score:2, Informative)
Slooooow (Score:2, Informative)
Re:No way to tell? (Score:3, Informative)
Secret Service
Re:No way to tell? (Score:4, Informative)
Here's a mirror:
http://secure.sunshinepress.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin_Yahoo_account_2008 [sunshinepress.org]
Slashdotted; check the Coral Cache (Score:4, Informative)
The site's either been Slashdotted, or the Secret Service has had the people who run it killed. In either case, you can see the article [nyud.net] via the Coral Cache if you want.
Re:Confirmed by her campaign (Score:4, Informative)
No...I think the summary (courtesy of uberotto [slashdot.org]) is that she lied and said she wasn't using her personal email for government business and this "proves" otherwise (assuming you don't question the validity of these email, at least part of which has already been confirmed as valid).
Re:Scrutiny (Score:3, Informative)
Um, yes, quite seriously. Are we supposed to demand transparency in government, but not if they use email?
"What are the laws on government email retention?"
You'll have to look up the details, (particularly for the state of Alaska) yourself, but on the federal level "you must retain everything for a very long time" would be a simple summary.
If all that was found are family photos, she's not trying to get around any laws, and the attackers/publishers are out of line. If she is doing any government business via her private yahoo account, that's probably illegal, or would be if she were in the federal government. It certainly was when Bush administration officials were using RNC accounts.
Something or Other (Score:5, Informative)
The "something or other" suggested is conducting public business using private email. For Federal officials, that's illegal, because it amounts to hiding your paper trail. Don't know if Alaska has a similar law for State officials, but even if it doesn't, hiding her actions is not what you'd expect from the reformer Palin claims to be.
Of course, even if proven, Palin will just add these charges to her list of Things That Never Happened, like her initial support for the Bridge to Nowhere.
Re:Hacking? (Score:3, Informative)
Despite the popular belief, hacking does not mean to gain unauthorized access to a system. To obtain a password using brute force or dictionary methods would be considered cracking.
Re:No way to tell? (Score:5, Informative)
Ok here's the full list of Wikileaks domains:
* http://www.wikileaks.org/ [wikileaks.org]
* https://secure.wikileaks.org/ [wikileaks.org]
* https://wikileaks.cx/ [wikileaks.cx]
* http://wikileaks.org.uk/ [wikileaks.org.uk]
* http://www.cauce.us/wiki/Wikileaks [cauce.us]
* https://secure.wikileaks.be/ [wikileaks.be]
* https://secure.freedomsbell.org/ [freedomsbell.org] â" alternative name to bypass the Great Firewall of China
* https://secure.libertypen.org/ [libertypen.org] â" alternative name to bypass the Great Firewall of China
* https://secure.ljsf.org/ [ljsf.org] â" alternative name to bypass the Great Firewall of China
* https://secure.sunshinepress.org/ [sunshinepress.org] â" alternative name to bypass the Great Firewall of China
Re:Confirmed by her campaign (Score:2, Informative)
You forgot to read the end:
Palin has come under fire for using private e-mail accounts to conduct state business. Critics allege that she uses the account to get around public records laws, as the Bush administration has also been charged with doing.
An index of the e-mails in her inbox, which includes sender, subject line and date sent, indicates that Palin received numerous e-mails from her aides in the governor's office, some of which could be work-related.
An e-mail from her press secretary, Meghan Stapleton, indicates the message is about the "Motor Fuel Tax Suspension".
The subject line of an e-mail from Randall Ruaro, her deputy chief of staff reads, "Draft letter to Governor Schwarzenegger." Another one from Ruaro says, "Please approve" and another one is about "Court of Appeals Nominations."
Other e-mails from Ruaro indicate they're about employee and budget issues for the DPS. DPS is how Alaska refers to its Department of Public Safety.
Palin's chief of staff, Michael Nizich, sent her an e-mail August 22 with the subject line, "Using Royalty Oil to Lower the Cost of Fuel for Alaskans." The subject line of another e-mail from Nizich reads "CONFIDENTIAL Ethics Matter."
E-mails from the governor's scheduler, Janice Mason, indicate that they're about Palin's schedule for the week of August 10.
Re:The crossed the line this time (Score:5, Informative)
What the hell are you talking about? Anonymous the name attributed to (and embraced by) the many and varied denizens of 4chan's Random (/b/) board. They rose to fame with their protests against scientology, but anyone who has ever visited /b/ could tell you that:
1) Anonymous is a 'group' only in the loosest sense of the word. There's no organization, no leader, and no real agenda. It works more like flash mobs. One person suggests something, and if enough people go along with it to achieve critical mass, then it's epic. Otherwise, it's just a few internet nerds making idiots out of themselves.
2) Anonymous has no real code, moral stance, or ethical guideline. /b/ frequently delves into such subjects as drug use, murder, petty crime, and child porn.
3) Anonymous does everything they do for their very own personal amusement. Any claim to be standing on principle is really just part of the joke. Since anonymous is kind of an intersection of Slashdot and MySpace when it comes to demographics, you'll find you agree with many of their 'positions.' However, don't expect any real loyalty from them.
Re:No way to tell? (Score:3, Informative)
Blah. No story here. Four emails posted, and nothing even remotely incriminating. If there was anything damning, Anonymous would have found it. The work-related stuff they did find was beyond benign.
Re:I've looked. Check Gawker (Score:2, Informative)
I'm not saying the two shouldn't be kept separate, I'm just saying they aren't. With out knowing the content of the emails there is absolutely nothing but speculation.
How they did it - it was the "Tinkerbell hack" (Score:5, Informative)
account recognizes
b-day 2/11/64
ZIP code 99687
for password change.
The zip code is of course that of Wasilla, Alaska.
It would seem that the republican VP candidate is at least twice as security aware as Paris Hilton [cnet.com]. Paris' had just one security question, the name of her dog (Tinkerbell), while Palin had two extremely obvious security questions.
Of course, two times "nothing much" is not a lot at all..
Re:A Few Things (Score:3, Informative)
1. Your an idiot.
2. Your an idiot.
(blah blah blah rant...) snip!
Most of the world would say you're an idiot.
Normally on slashdot we prefer the much more formal: you, sir, are an idiot.
Re:The crossed the line this time (Score:2, Informative)
Assigning Secret Service agents to candidates has been standard operating procedure for the Secret Service since at least 1972. If I recall correctly this practice began after the Robert F. Kennedy assassination. I know this because I have a signed letter of thanks from George McGovern to my grandfather, a Secret Service agent, for the agency security entourage he led.
Just FYI.
Re:The crossed the line this time (Score:5, Informative)
In that case, you should worry if she is a dispensationalist and not if she is creationist as only dispensationalists believe in a rapture. BTW Woodrow Wilson was a creationist, fundamentalist and dispensationalist.
Re:Intended purpose of hacking the e-mail (Score:3, Informative)
And I'll wager Democrats have been doing it for just as long.
Two wrongs don't make a right.
Re:The crossed the line this time (Score:5, Informative)
There's no evidence that Anonymous was behind the epilepsy thing, and many have suggested that Scientologists did it to discredit Anonymous.
Re:Intended purpose of hacking the e-mail (Score:5, Informative)
Re:The crossed the line this time (Score:5, Informative)
No, it's not. The US Secret Service working out of DC that protects former PsOTUS and FLsOTUS for up to ten years upon exiting their respective offices (it used to be lifetime), candidates for president are covered under this as well.
They also had a number of duties that until only recently put them under direction of the US Treasury and oversaw most if not all of the investigations therein. Before their move to the DHS they were assigned to investigate federal computer crime laws, a jurisdiction not removed with their transfer of ownership, as it were. Although publicly perceived as only protecting the president they are much like a handful of other somewhat small federal law enforcement agencies that do many other things than just what the public thinks they do. They were originally created in 1865 to go after currency counterfeiting, only being given the duty to protect presidents-and only informally-in 1901.
Re:Intended purpose of hacking the e-mail (Score:5, Informative)
You thought wrong.
Evidence seized illegally by law enforcement is inadmissible, unless it can be proven that they certainly would have come across it anyhow.
Re:A generation gap... (Score:3, Informative)
Are the over 30 year olds really that stupid?
Hey, us "over 30 year olds" created the internet you are allowed to dwell on, don't blame us for this brand of stupidity.
We had to dumb the place down for the likes of the "AOL elite" there.
Re:Intended purpose of hacking the e-mail (Score:3, Informative)
Clear Evidence of Government us of Personal Email (Score:5, Informative)
Ruaro, Randall P (GOV) Draft letter to Governor Schwarzenegger / Container Tax Thu, 8/28/08 12KB Read
Ruaro, Randall P (GOV) FW: DPS Personnel and Budget Issues Tue, 8/19/08 11KB Read
Ruaro, Randall P (GOV) Court of Appeals Nominations Sat, 8/16/08 11KB Read
Nizich, Michael A (GOV) another records request Fri, 8/15/08 5KB Read
Nizich, Michael A (GOV) FW: CONFIDENTIAL Ethics Matter Thu, 8/7/08 5KB Read
Posting near the top.... (Score:5, Informative)
There's a posting here from someone that observed the entire episode:
The story behind the Palin e-mail hacking [michellemalkin.com]
Pre-emptive warning: it's a partisan blog, but the explanation is quoted in full.
Short version:
The original cracker attributed his /b/ posting to another yahoo.com address. He claims to have done all this through a single proxy, but admits that he is a bit scared of the FBI at the moment.
Re:Clear Evidence of Government us of Personal Ema (Score:3, Informative)
Hi "n00b" (Score:3, Informative)
>> 4) No attempt to disguise her identity in the user name
Are you new to the internet? You've never seen firstname.lastname@randommail.com used before?
Re:Posting near the top.... (Score:5, Informative)
If you believe ANYTHING on /b/ you have no idea what that board is about.
That includes the person that thinks they know what happened.
No facts, no truth.
Re:Intended purpose of hacking the e-mail (Score:5, Informative)
Yes, its the Alaska Public Records Act.
Re:No way to tell? (Score:2, Informative)
Torrent available from the Pirate Bay:
http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4401363/Sarah_Palin_Email_Leaks [thepiratebay.org]
Enjoy...
wikileaks down - files at cryptome (Score:5, Informative)
Re:I've looked. Check Gawker (Score:3, Informative)
The Federal government certainly allows use of government email accounts for personal matters, as long as certain limits are adhered to. It's the converse which is a problem. Any official communication by Federal management is a public record, and preservation of these records must follow the standards set by the National Archives and Records Administration [archives.gov]. Even instant messages [archives.gov] are subject to these requirements if they are used for official purposes.
Presumably the state of Alaska has similar requirements.
Did the whole business of Rove &c using non-.gov email for official business [washingtonpost.com] last year pass you by?
Re:Posting near the top.... (Score:5, Informative)
Um, first of all if you want to know the truth, ask Michelle Malkin what it is and then believe the exact opposite. Thats her super power. Second, check this excerpt out from the article:
Palin has come under fire for using private e-mail accounts to conduct state business. Critics allege that she uses the account to get around public records laws, as the Bush administration has also been charged with doing.
An index of the e-mails in her inbox, which includes sender, subject line and date sent, indicates that Palin received numerous e-mails from her aides in the governor's office, some of which could be work-related.
An e-mail from her press secretary, Meghan Stapleton, indicates the message is about the "Motor Fuel Tax Suspension".
The subject line of an e-mail from Randall Ruaro, her deputy chief of staff reads, "Draft letter to Governor Schwarzenegger." Another one from Ruaro says, "Please approve" and another one is about "Court of Appeals Nominations."
Other e-mails from Ruaro indicate they're about employee and budget issues for the DPS. DPS is how Alaska refers to its Department of Public Safety.
Palin's chief of staff, Michael Nizich, sent her an e-mail August 22 with the subject line, "Using Royalty Oil to Lower the Cost of Fuel for Alaskans." The subject line of another e-mail from Nizich reads "CONFIDENTIAL Ethics Matter."
E-mails from the governor's scheduler, Janice Mason, indicate that they're about Palin's schedule for the week of August 10.
Re:Intended purpose of hacking the e-mail (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Intended purpose of hacking the e-mail (Score:4, Informative)
There is no law against her having and using a personal Yahoo account. However, when she is conducting official business, as the head of the state of Alaska, transparency is required.
Re:The crossed the line this time (Score:3, Informative)
Well, considering that Wikileaks isn't hosted in the US, I'm not sure there is much the US Feds can do to them...
Re:No way to tell? (Score:5, Informative)
Have at [thepiratebay.org]
Re:The crossed the line this time (Score:4, Informative)
Thank f'ing god someone understands how this works.
The fact that "Anonymous" has somehow been given a group designation baffles me. It's a bunch of internet trolls (mostly males, aged 14-24) that are happy -- ecstatic -- that they are getting media attention. They're just a bunch of individuals laughing at the fact that people take them so seriously.
Secret Questions Blow a Hole in Security (Score:3, Informative)
It wasn't the password, it was one of several questions on Yahoo's password recovery questionnaire.
ob. Schneier:
http://www.schneier.com/essay-214.html [schneier.com]
Re:Intended purpose of hacking the e-mail (Score:5, Informative)
She's not a private citizen, she's a public person in a public position. By conducting work business on the Yahoo account, it basically became the State of Alaska's email address, NOT Sarah Palin's. So, while it's illegal to break into email, that information should be considered public records anyway. It was her mistake, and someone busted her. Maybe they "hacked" or whatever, but who cares? It was a good hack because it broke hidden public records out. Justice is served. Information wants to be free. This is way bigger than the individual now. He may perish for hacking, but the information will live on forever, and Justice will be served to Palin for breaking the Public Records laws.
Re:The crossed the line this time (Score:1, Informative)
Help seed 'for I get party vanned
http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4401363/Sarah_Palin_Email_Leaks
Remember, "Proxies are like condoms, you can never use too many"
-thanks
Re:Intended purpose of hacking the e-mail (Score:3, Informative)
While it's true that large cities lean Democratic, New York City has had Republican mayors for the past 14 years.
You don't get NYC politics.
Bloomberg is a Democrat through and through, he just ran on the Republican ticket.
Rudy was a Democrat in the 70's and an admirer of the Kennedy family. He became a Republican rather late in his career, and his policies as mayor lean so far left that he would be considered unelectable anywhere other than New York City if it wasn't for 9/11.
Democrat and Republican don't mean a damn thing in NYC politics; liberal and conservative do.
Re:No way to tell? (Score:3, Informative)
I think the mods have said it better than I could.
Timely work Stinerman,
-H.
Re:The crossed the line this time (Score:1, Informative)
Couplethings you can verify if you are honestly curious. Firstly: about 25% of human conceptions end in spontaneous abortion. Spontaneous abortion is the term in the medical literature and is a useful google search term. Secondly: only relatively late in the third trimester can a developing embryo survive removal from the mother. Before then the in utero development can take 30% of the mother's energy. This is a significant ANC uncomfortable metabolic load. It also imposes some behaviour and dietary constraints on the mother. Otherwise, a stillbirth or serious deformation or damage to the mother may result. In Canada (as an example) in law the rights of an already born, adult woman to control her body trumps that of a not yet viable not yet born foetus. This is much like hospitals and doctors not bring FORCED to undertake extraordinary measures to keep a patient alive who would likely die without eg being given a surgeon's kidney.
Re:The crossed the line this time (Score:5, Informative)
Obama is a socialist.
I live in the UK; I can assure you that he's actually a centrist, It's just that centre ground of US politics is so far to the right (compared to global politics), that anyone who expresses even the mildest left leaning thoughts is labeled a socialist over there. When he starts campaigning for nationalisation of major industries, then he'll be a socialist.
Re:The crossed the line this time (Score:1, Informative)
The Secret Service is bound to investigate all threats against candidates. It has nothing to do with the high profile nature of the incident.