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Sarah Palin's Yahoo! account hacked
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Wiskedjak
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Sep 17, 2008, 08:51 PM
 
Apparently Anonymous has hacked into Sarah Palin's Yahoo! account.
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/32838

Good thing she didn't use such an insecure service for government communication. If they can catch these criminals, I hope they're punished just as strongly as anyone who hacks into a regular person's personal email account.
     
Doofy
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Sep 17, 2008, 08:56 PM
 
I still don't understand why people use web-based email accounts. Bleedin' awful way of doing things.

Don't your ISPs give you free POP accounts over there or something?
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Eug
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:02 PM
 
Originally Posted by Doofy View Post
I still don't understand why people use web-based email accounts. Bleedin' awful way of doing things.

Don't your ISPs give you free POP accounts over there or something?
I never use them anymore, cuz it changes every time I switch ISPs.
     
savoirfaire
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:03 PM
 
Are they sure this isn't a hoax?

I am still embarassed for Matt Damon taking the Sarah Palin-dinosaur satire seriously.
     
- - e r i k - -
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:06 PM
 
Originally Posted by Doofy View Post
Don't your ISPs give you free POP accounts over there or something?
Why would you want to be locked into your ISP? I change ISPs every time a better offer comes along.

Buiyng your own domain is the way to go, but I see why this isn't viable for most.

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- - e r i k - -
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:06 PM
 
Wikileaks is down. Looks pretty legit from the posted screenshots though.

Also looks like "anonymous" is a bit divided on the ethical issues involved in this.

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Dork.
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:12 PM
 
     
baw
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:14 PM
 
Unacceptable. No matter who the intended target was.
     
Eug
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:15 PM
 
Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - View Post
Wikileaks is down. Looks pretty legit from the posted screenshots though.

Also looks like "anonymous" is a bit divided on the ethical issues involved in this.
Hmmm... So at least some of the people there have some sense of ethics. This was not justified... except to prove that Y! Mail isn't secure enough (which is a worrisome, since I use Y! Mail).
     
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:16 PM
 
Somewhere in some other dimension, Dick Nixon is smiling a very wide, proud grin.
     
lpkmckenna
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:20 PM
 
Some kid is now facing a few years in PMITA prison, all because he could guess someone's password.

Of course, the Palin train-wreck continues...
     
Wiskedjak  (op)
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:20 PM
 
Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - View Post
Also looks like "anonymous" is a bit divided on the ethical issues involved in this.
I don't think the ethics are any different from when they hacked Scientology.
     
- - e r i k - -
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:42 PM
 
Palin-trainwreck or not, this is a shocking invasion of privacy.

My guess is that the "hack" is nothing more than guessing an insecure password, and not necessarily a reflection of the security of Y! email.

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vmarks
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Sep 17, 2008, 10:12 PM
 
Originally Posted by Wiskedjak View Post
I don't think the ethics are any different from when they hacked Scientology.
What indicates that it is the same 'anonymous' ?

What was exposed in the Scientology hack and how is it similar to this instance?

What are the ethical questions and why are the answers the same for you?
     
Wiskedjak  (op)
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Sep 17, 2008, 11:18 PM
 
Originally Posted by vmarks View Post
What indicates that it is the same 'anonymous' ?
Except for the fact that they are claiming to be from Anonymous nothing, of course. Though, that is the very nature of Anonymous. Pretty much *anyone* can claim to be part of the group. It's probably unlikely that the exact same people were involved. Kind of like Al Qaeda.

Originally Posted by vmarks View Post
What was exposed in the Scientology hack and how is it similar to this instance?
Scientology's private databases were hacked into by Anonymous and private documents were made public. I'm not certain if email was hacked into.

Originally Posted by vmarks View Post
What are the ethical questions and why are the answers the same for you?
While Scientology has many allegations of questionable activity leveled against it, I don't think it's a matter for hackers to take it upon themselves to expose the organization by illegal means. Likewise, while there is question about Governor Palin's use of a Yahoo! email account for government business, I don't think it's a matter for hackers to try and prove through illegal means that she did.

It also highlights that government officials in sensitive positions probably shouldn't be using webmail, for official or personal communication.
( Last edited by Wiskedjak; Sep 18, 2008 at 10:19 AM. )
     
Wiskedjak  (op)
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Sep 17, 2008, 11:26 PM
 
Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - View Post
Palin-trainwreck or not, this is a shocking invasion of privacy.

My guess is that the "hack" is nothing more than guessing an insecure password, and not necessarily a reflection of the security of Y! email.
I don't think Yahoo! is terribly secure. A year ago I received an email to my Gmail account stating that the password for my Yahoo! account (which I use for Flickr) had been successfully changed. I never submitted a password change for my Yahoo! account. I was also using a word from the Algonquin language as my password, so it wasn't terribly easy to guess.

Fortunately, I was online at the time and the hacker hadn't changed the primary email or "secret questions" yet, so when I received the password-changed email, I was able to reset my password. I'm a pretty heavy Flickr user (was incredibly upset when Yahoo bought them), so I rotate and monitor my password pretty frequently now.

Though, no one made much of a fuss when *my* Yahoo! account was hacked.
     
placebo1969
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Sep 17, 2008, 11:32 PM
 
     
Dakar V
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Sep 18, 2008, 08:09 AM
 
I hope stuff like this doesn't become the mainstay of future elections.
     
Dork.
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Sep 18, 2008, 09:00 AM
 
According to Ars Technica, her password was "popcorn".

Hack of Palin e-mail makes case for sticking with .gov account



I hope that someone asks her about the benefits of picking strong passwords in the VP debates....
     
Laminar
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Sep 18, 2008, 10:10 AM
 
If you know just a little bit about a person, it can be very easy to guess the answers to their secret question - pet names, middle names, maiden names - all of this info for public figures could be out there. I got into my ex-girlfriend's yahoo account be guessing that she used her weird sister's name as a pet's name.
     
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Sep 18, 2008, 10:23 AM
 
Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
If you know just a little bit about a person, it can be very easy to guess the answers to their secret question - pet names, middle names, maiden names - all of this info for public figures could be out there. I got into my ex-girlfriend's yahoo account be guessing that she used her weird sister's name as a pet's name.

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MRTrauffer
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Sep 18, 2008, 11:31 AM
 
Originally Posted by Dork. View Post
According to Ars Technica, her password was "popcorn".

Hack of Palin e-mail makes case for sticking with .gov account



I hope that someone asks her about the benefits of picking strong passwords in the VP debates....
According to the hacker, he's the one who changed her password to popcorn.
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Dork.
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Sep 18, 2008, 11:58 AM
 
Ah, apparently I was mistaken. Ars said the password that was posted was "popcorn", I assumed it was the one she put on the account....
     
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Sep 18, 2008, 12:24 PM
 
Is guessing someone's password really considered "hacking"?

If I guessed someone's Yahoo Mail password, read through their mail and posted screenshots of it, I could see it being a civil suit but not criminal. Or, is it just that she's a person in some sort of power and the rules are changed?
     
Wiskedjak  (op)
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Sep 18, 2008, 12:42 PM
 
Originally Posted by screamingFit View Post
Is guessing someone's password really considered "hacking"?

If I guessed someone's Yahoo Mail password, read through their mail and posted screenshots of it, I could see it being a civil suit but not criminal. Or, is it just that she's a person in some sort of power and the rules are changed?
Well, the FBI wasn't involved when my Yahoo! account was briefly hijacked.
     
Eug
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Sep 22, 2008, 04:36 PM
 
Heh. This just gets odder. (Is that a word?)

The hacker may have been the son of the Democrat rep for Memphis. And when the FBI arrived, the kid bolted.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/...obe/index.html
     
Chuckit
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Sep 22, 2008, 04:50 PM
 
The term "hacker" is a bit of a misnomer here. He just provided Yahoo with basic information about Palin and Yahoo gave him the password. I think "slightly tricky dude" is more accurate.
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Sep 22, 2008, 04:51 PM
 
Of course odder is a word, you folks just pronounce it funny.

The guy's father is a State legislator in Tennessee. Perhaps soon to be a former State Legislator in Tennessee?
     
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Sep 22, 2008, 07:57 PM
 
Well, whatever anyoen thinks about this, Sarah Palin is hawt and so are her daughters.

/just sayin'
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Sep 22, 2008, 08:37 PM
 
Originally Posted by Sayf-Allah View Post
ebuddy
     
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Oct 8, 2008, 12:29 PM
 
Update:someone has been indicted:
Son of Tenn. Democrat indicted in Palin hacking
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The son of a Democratic Tennessee state lawmaker pleaded not guilty Wednesday to hacking the e-mail account of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

David Kernell, 20, of Knoxville, Tenn. entered the plea in federal court in Knoxville, the same day prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging him with intentionally accessing Palin's e-mail account without authorization.

Kernell, an economics student at the University of Tennessee, was brought into court wearing handcuffs and shackles on his ankles.

He was released without posting bond, but the court forbade him from owning a computer and limited his Internet use to checking e-mail and doing class work.

Kernell's father is longtime state Rep. Mike Kernell of Memphis, chairman of Tennessee's House Government Operations Committee. The lawmaker has said he had nothing to do with the hacking incident.

David Kernell was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Knoxville and faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Trial is set for Dec. 16.
45/47
     
Chuckit
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Oct 8, 2008, 01:10 PM
 
Five years for reading a couple of emails? Good grief, you can kill someone and get less than that.
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Oct 8, 2008, 01:24 PM
 
So it was a prank.
BTW, it wasn't hacking (as in using a weakness of the code), AFAIK the password was reset after (correctly) answering the security questions.
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Oct 8, 2008, 01:38 PM
 
Yahoo!gate.

Dems are winning and shoot themselves in the foot. I wonder if the kid will crack under pressure? Would be funny if the DNC encouraged him to do this.
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Wiskedjak  (op)
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Oct 8, 2008, 02:06 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
Yahoo!gate.

Dems are winning and shoot themselves in the foot. I wonder if the kid will crack under pressure? Would be funny if the DNC encouraged him to do this.
So, if the child of a Democrat commits a crime, all Democrats are responsible? If the child of a Republican commits a crime, are all Republicans responsible? Are you certain you want to open up that slippery slope?
     
Shaddim
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Oct 8, 2008, 02:12 PM
 
Originally Posted by Wiskedjak View Post
So, if the child of a Democrat commits a crime, all Democrats are responsible? If the child of a Republican commits a crime, are all Republicans responsible? Are you certain you want to open up that slippery slope?
"Would be funny if the DNC encouraged him to do this."
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Wiskedjak  (op)
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Oct 8, 2008, 02:15 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
"Would be funny if the DNC encouraged him to do this."
"Dems are winning and shoot themselves in the foot."

The only person shooting anyone in the foot was David Kernell allegedly shooting *himself* in the foot. But, nice try at generating rumor to suggest this was orchestrated by Democrats.
     
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Oct 8, 2008, 02:24 PM
 
Originally Posted by Chuckit View Post
Five years for reading a couple of emails? Good grief, you can kill someone and get less than that.
That's the max he could get. I predict he cops a plea, and doesn't spend a lick of time in jail.
     
Shaddim
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Oct 8, 2008, 02:25 PM
 
Originally Posted by Wiskedjak View Post
"Dems are winning and shoot themselves in the foot."

The only person shooting anyone in the foot was David Kernell allegedly shooting *himself* in the foot. But, nice try at generating rumor to suggest this was orchestrated by Democrats.
Yeah, must be congenital...


If you're winning by such a margin, why would you hack an opponent's email? Knowing full well that if you get caught it could look bad for your party?
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Oct 8, 2008, 02:30 PM
 
Were they winning by a large margin when it was hacked?
     
Chuckit
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Oct 8, 2008, 02:33 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
Yeah, must be congenital...


If you're winning by such a margin, why would you hack an opponent's email? Knowing full well that if you get caught it could look bad for your party?
The kid is a /b/tard. I doubt it had anything to do with "the party's" plans.
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Oct 8, 2008, 02:35 PM
 
Why is it such a serious crime if it wasn't a government account? If someone breaks into my Yahoo! account do they get hauled off in chains?

I'm seriously asking this question. Does the fact that this personal Yahoo! account was owned by the governor make it any different from a personal account held be anyone else? I guess it could be considered treason or spying or something... but it seems to me that if you decide to go and use a free email account that bypasses state security and rules, then maybe you should have the exact same rights as any other schmo when you get hacked.

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Oct 8, 2008, 02:37 PM
 
Originally Posted by Wiskedjak View Post
So, if the child of a Democrat commits a crime, all Democrats are responsible? If the child of a Republican commits a crime, are all Republicans responsible? Are you certain you want to open up that slippery slope?
If the DNC wanted to do something like this, do you really think they would use a 20 yo kid of one of their members?
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Shaddim
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Oct 8, 2008, 02:38 PM
 
Originally Posted by Chuckit View Post
The kid is a /b/tard. I doubt it had anything to do with "the party's" plans.
Honestly, I don't think the party was involved. However, it is a really bad choice, especially if your father is a lawmaker for the opposing side.
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Oct 8, 2008, 02:39 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
Honestly, I don't think the party was involved. However, it is a really bad choice, especially if your father is a lawmaker for the opposing side.
Agreed. Perhaps he was trying to intentionally sabotage his fathers career? Do you think this may have some backlash on him?
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Wiskedjak  (op)
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Oct 8, 2008, 02:45 PM
 
Originally Posted by Rumor View Post
If the DNC wanted to do something like this, do you really think they would use a 20 yo kid of one of their members?
*I* don't, but Shaddim certainly seemed to want to think they would, even though he's trying to seriously back-pedal from the statement.

Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
Dems are winning and shoot themselves in the foot.
... clearly says that he feels Democrats are responsible, despite his following attempts at spin.
     
Shaddim
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Oct 8, 2008, 02:56 PM
 
Originally Posted by Wiskedjak View Post
*I* don't, but Shaddim certainly seemed to want to think they would, even though he's trying to seriously back-pedal from the statement.


... clearly says that he feels Democrats are responsible, despite his following attempts at spin.
Funny stuff.

Well, I have a staff meeting, and "those people" get upset when anyone is late, so "you guys" will have to excuse me while I attend. We can continue our conversation about "that one" when I return.


(Gotta admit, "some people" are just barrels of fun.)
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Oct 8, 2008, 05:01 PM
 
So they're just glossing over that Palin was using several non-government email accounts to avoid an electronic trail?

It's too bad they don't prosecute every script kiddy that hacks a Yahoo, Hotmail, or Gmail account. They get (at most) community service and supervised parole with no computer access for a few months.
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Oct 8, 2008, 05:21 PM
 
Originally Posted by olePigeon View Post
So they're just glossing over that Palin was using several non-government email accounts to avoid an electronic trail?
She was?
     
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Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
She was?
Yes. Like George Bush, she used private email accounts to avoid the Public Record laws.
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