Did the Russians hack into US election systems?

[task0778]

"A leaked NSA document determining that hackers connected to Russian military intelligence tried to breach US voting systems days before the 2016 election has national security experts and former intelligence officials reeling.

Russian military intelligence, according to the document, launched an attack on at least one US voting-software supplier and sent so-called spear-phishing emails to at least 100 local election officials shortly before the election.

In addition to being the strongest public indication so far that Russia interfered in the US election, the document also indicates that Russian hackers may have "penetrated further into US voting systems than was previously understood," The Intercept, which first published the document, reported.

A US intelligence official contacted by The Intercept said the document's findings were not necessarily definitive and warned against drawing too many conclusions from the analysis. The Intercept said it was unclear from the document whether the hackers had an effect on the election's outcome.

But others in the national security apparatus feel differently.

"This is indeed a big deal," said Bob Deitz, a veteran of the NSA and CIA who worked under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. "We are lucky that US presidential elections are so localized that it is difficult to do an effective hack."


This intelligence is purported to be among the classified documents that Reality Winner sent to The Intercept. Which opens up a very big can of worms: who knew what and when did they know it? Did the Russians actually change any vote totals? No evidence of that yet, but I am officially pissed. Enough with this shit, it's time IMHO for some quid pro quo, our cyber security needs to be seriously upgraded for both defensive and offensive operations. Chances are there are no definitive connections between the hackers and the Russian Gov't, but guess what, we can do the same. It's past time we went after Russian or Chinese or whoever the hell else is screwing with us and make them pay a hefty price one way or another.

And we should be told about this long ago, we shouldn't have to find out from a leaker. I don't need to know the methods and procedures that has to be kept secret, but I damn well want to know WTF is going on.

 

[Wry Catcher]

"A leaked NSA document determining that hackers connected to Russian military intelligence tried to breach US voting systems days before the 2016 election has national security experts and former intelligence officials reeling.

Russian military intelligence, according to the document, launched an attack on at least one US voting-software supplier and sent so-called spear-phishing emails to at least 100 local election officials shortly before the election.

In addition to being the strongest public indication so far that Russia interfered in the US election, the document also indicates that Russian hackers may have "penetrated further into US voting systems than was previously understood," The Intercept, which first published the document, reported.

A US intelligence official contacted by The Intercept said the document's findings were not necessarily definitive and warned against drawing too many conclusions from the analysis. The Intercept said it was unclear from the document whether the hackers had an effect on the election's outcome.

But others in the national security apparatus feel differently.

"This is indeed a big deal," said Bob Deitz, a veteran of the NSA and CIA who worked under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. "We are lucky that US presidential elections are so localized that it is difficult to do an effective hack."


This intelligence is purported to be among the classified documents that Reality Winner sent to The Intercept. Which opens up a very big can of worms: who knew what and when did they know it? Did the Russians actually change any vote totals? No evidence of that yet, but I am officially pissed. Enough with this shit, it's time IMHO for some quid pro quo, our cyber security needs to be seriously upgraded for both defensive and offensive operations. Chances are there are no definitive connections between the hackers and the Russian Gov't, but guess what, we can do the same. It's past time we went after Russian or Chinese or whoever the hell else is screwing with us and make them pay a hefty price one way or another.

And we should be told about this long ago, we shouldn't have to find out from a leaker. I don't need to know the methods and procedures that has to be kept secret, but I damn well want to know WTF is going on.

A couple of quick thoughts:

• Those who are calling for the "leakers" head, are many of the same who praised Edward Snowden
• The line between whistle-blower and leaker is blurred
• The "leaker/whistle-blower" is known, she can be fully vetted, interrogated and put under oath, as can her employer (a government contractor)
• Who and why decided to delay the release of information

 

[task0778]

Not sure the people who are calling for the leaker's head today aren't the same people who were calling for Snowden's head back then, or Bradley Manning's head a few years back. I know I was.But yeah, there'll always be some who attack or defend a leaker depending on who's side got hurt the most. As opposed to the country's best interest as their top priority.

To me the line between a leaker and a whistle blower stops at the unauthorized release of classified information. It's one thing to tell the world we have a problem in the VA, but it's another to reveal classified stuff that needs to be kept secret. Can't be doing that, there's gotta be another way to expose the truth about what's going on.

A leaker/whistle blower has 5th amendment rights like everyone else.

As for the delay, yeah I'd like to know that myself. Don't give a damn who is hiding what, if there's coverup I want somebody going to jail.

 

[task0778]

Further information:

The NSA has now learned, however, that Russian government hackers, part of a team with a "cyber espionage mandate specifically directed at U.S. and foreign elections," focused on parts of the system directly connected to the voter registration process, including a private sector manufacturer of devices that maintain and verify the voter rolls (VR Systems). Some of the company's devices are advertised as having wireless internet and Bluetooth connectivity, which could have provided an ideal staging point for further malicious actions.

Although the NSA report indicates that VR Systems was targeted only with login-stealing trickery, rather than computer-controlling malware, this isn't necessarily a reassuring sign. Jake Williams, founder of computer security firm Rendition Infosec and formerly of the NSA's Tailored Access Operations hacking team, said stolen logins can be even more dangerous than an infected computer. "I'll take credentials most days over malware," he said, since an employee's login information can be used to penetrate "corporate VPNs, email, or cloud services," allowing access to internal corporate data. The risk is particularly heightened given how common it is to use the same password for multiple services. Phishing, as the name implies, doesn't require everyone to take the bait in order to be a success — though Williams stressed that hackers "never want just one" set of stolen credentials.

[T]he hackers apparently got what they needed. Two months later, on October 27, they set up an "operational" Gmail account designed to appear as if it belonged to an employee at VR Systems, and used documents obtained from the previous operation to launch a second spear-phishing operation "targeting U.S. local government organizations." These emails contained a Microsoft Word document that had been "trojanized" so that when it was opened it would send out a beacon to the "malicious infrastructure" set up by the hackers.

The NSA assessed that this phase of the spear-fishing operation was likely launched on either October 31 or November 1 and sent spear-fishing emails to 122 email addresses "associated with named local government organizations," probably to officials "involved in the management of voter registration systems." The emails contained Microsoft Word attachments purporting to be benign documentation for VR Systems' EViD voter database product line, but which were in reality maliciously embedded with automated software commands that are triggered instantly and invisibly when the user opens the document. These particular weaponized files used PowerShell, a Microsoft scripting language designed for system administrators and installed by default on Windows co mputers, allowing vast control over a system's settings and functions. If opened, the files "very likely" would have instructed the infected computer to begin downloading in the background a second package of malware from a remote server also controlled by the hackers, which the secret report says could have provided attackers with "persistent access" to the computer or the ability to "survey the victims for items of interest." Essentially, the weaponized Word document quietly unlocks and opens a target's back door, allowing virtually any cocktail of malware to be subsequently delivered automatically.

According to Williams, if this type of attack were successful, the perpetrator would possess "unlimited" capacity for siphoning away items of interest. "Once the user opens up that email [attachment]," Williams explained, "the attacker has all the same capabilities that the user does." Vikram Thakur, a senior research manager at Symantec's Security Response Team, told The Intercept that in cases like this the "quantity of exfiltrated data is only limited by the controls put in place by network administrators." Data theft of this variety is typically encrypted, meaning anyone observing an infected network wouldn't be able to see what exactly was being removed but should certainly be able to tell something was afoot, Williams added. Overall, the method is one of "medium sophistication," Williams said, one that "practically any hacker can pull off."

Blog: Leaker named Reality confirms NSA report that Russia attempted actual election hack

 

[Snouter]

This is a mixture of a "nothingburger," fake news, and an insane mental case called Delusional Loser (formerly the artist known as Reality Winner).

 

[Timmy]

According to our trump friends there was no hacking. So how can someone get in trouble for leaking somthing that didn't happen?

 

[g5000]

Trump's Chumps will go to their dying day denying the Russian attacks on our electoral system. And they get very, very, very angry with anyone who attempts to make reality impinge on their delusions.

Even Trump himself admits the Russians interfered. But he first denied it, and a Trump Chump cannot change their programming once Dear Leader puts that program into their parroting heads. Not even Trump himself can undo his own lying handiwork.

Trump's Chumps did not ask for evidence five million illegals voted for Hillary. It was the kind of lie they desperately want to bleev, so no evidence necessary.

When the truth clashes with their belief system, however, no amount of evidence will be admitted, much less examined. Mountains of truth will be brushed away with extreme anger and annoyance. The lies and delusions must be preserved at all costs to their integrity, their fortune, and their sanity.

 

[g5000]

This is a mixture of a "nothingburger," fake news, and an insane mental case called Delusional Loser (formerly the artist known as Reality Winner).

You are a stream of consciousness tard, parroting your programming like a jammed robot.

 

[Snouter]

Sorry butthurt, tinfoil hat "Russia Hacked the Election" folks. This is a nothingburger! Get over it. It is fake.

 

[OnePercenter]

Sorry butthurt, tinfoil hat "Russia Hacked the Election" folks. This is a nothingburger! Get over it. It is fake.

Says the Russian propagator......

 

[miketx]

Sorry butthurt, tinfoil hat "Russia Hacked the Election" folks. This is a nothingburger! Get over it. It is fake.

Says the Russian propagator......

Prove it? What? You have no proof? Oh snap!

 

[mudwhistle]

"A leaked NSA document determining that hackers connected to Russian military intelligence tried to breach US voting systems days before the 2016 election has national security experts and former intelligence officials reeling.

Russian military intelligence, according to the document, launched an attack on at least one US voting-software supplier and sent so-called spear-phishing emails to at least 100 local election officials shortly before the election.

In addition to being the strongest public indication so far that Russia interfered in the US election, the document also indicates that Russian hackers may have "penetrated further into US voting systems than was previously understood," The Intercept, which first published the document, reported.

A US intelligence official contacted by The Intercept said the document's findings were not necessarily definitive and warned against drawing too many conclusions from the analysis. The Intercept said it was unclear from the document whether the hackers had an effect on the election's outcome.

But others in the national security apparatus feel differently.

"This is indeed a big deal," said Bob Deitz, a veteran of the NSA and CIA who worked under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. "We are lucky that US presidential elections are so localized that it is difficult to do an effective hack."


This intelligence is purported to be among the classified documents that Reality Winner sent to The Intercept. Which opens up a very big can of worms: who knew what and when did they know it? Did the Russians actually change any vote totals? No evidence of that yet, but I am officially pissed. Enough with this shit, it's time IMHO for some quid pro quo, our cyber security needs to be seriously upgraded for both defensive and offensive operations. Chances are there are no definitive connections between the hackers and the Russian Gov't, but guess what, we can do the same. It's past time we went after Russian or Chinese or whoever the hell else is screwing with us and make them pay a hefty price one way or another.

And we should be told about this long ago, we shouldn't have to find out from a leaker. I don't need to know the methods and procedures that has to be kept secret, but I damn well want to know WTF is going on.

It's crap.
Do you know what Spear Phishing is?

spear phishing

Posted by: Margaret Rouse
WhatIs.com

Contributor(s): Madelyn Bacon

Spear phishing is an email-spoofing attack that targets a specific organization or individual, seeking unauthorized access to sensitive information. Spear-phishing attempts are not typically initiated by random hackers, but are more likely to be conducted by perpetrators out for financial gain, trade secrets or military information.

As with emails used in regular phishing expeditions, spear-phishing messages appear to come from a trusted source. Phishing messages usually appear to come from a large and well-known company or website with a broad membership base, such as Google or PayPal. In the case of spear phishing, however, the apparent source of the email is likely to be an individual within the recipient's own company -- generally someone in a position of authority -- or from someone the target knows personally.

Visiting United States Military Academy professor and National Security Agency official Aaron Ferguson called it the "colonel effect." To illustrate his point, Ferguson sent out a message to 500 cadets, asking them to click a link to verify grades. Ferguson's message appeared to come from a Col. Robert Melville of West Point. Over 80% of recipients clicked the link in the message. In response, they received a notification that they'd been duped and a warning that their behavior could have resulted in downloads of spyware, Trojan horses and/or other malware.

What is spear phishing? - Definition from WhatIs.com​

 

[The Original Tree]

There is to date, no Evidence of Hacking.

None

Zippo

Zero

Not even Obama's group of hackers were able to hack in to one voting machine.

And they tried repeatedly because they wanted to make the case for the Federal Government taking over state elections.

Probably imo, so Dems could rig the General Election like they rigged their own primaries.
And now that we know the Intelligence Community intentionally leaves false markers to frame foreign governments for their own hacking attempts, even if there was evidence, you would have to be suspicious of it because we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the only proven people who attempted to hack the election were actually working for The Obama Regime.

 

[JBond]

Seems lots of folks hacked the election systems.

Indiana joins Idaho in claiming DHS tried to hack their election systems