It appears that Russian intelligence services have penetrated the Democratic National Committee’s computer systems. I think they came away with a lot more information than E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy ever did. According to the reporting, one group of Russian spies has been reading email and chat traffic at the DNC for about a year. Perhaps more significantly, another group of Russian spies recently made off with the DNC’s entire opposition research file on Donald Trump. That must make for some lively briefings in the Kremlin.
Obviously, it’s a concern when a foreign power like Russia that has an often adversarial relationship with us and some of our allies gets this kind of information. It gives them a lot of ammo to blackmail and recruit people.
It’s interesting to see how some experts think the Russians will or could use the information gained on Trump.
“The purpose of such intelligence gathering is to understand the target’s proclivities,” said Robert Deitz, former senior councillor to the CIA director and a former general counsel at the National Security Agency. “Trump’s foreign investments, for example, would be relevant to understanding how he would deal with countries where he has those investments” should he be elected, Deitz said. “They may provide tips for understanding his style of negotiating. In short, this sort of intelligence could be used by Russia, for example, to indicate where it can get away with foreign adventurism.”
The information can be used in a number of ways, and I’m sure we’re doing the same things to Russia. I’d love it if the Russians just posted the Trump opposition research on the internet somewhere. After all, there’s no way the DNC will ever get around to using all of it.
That Commie Obama must have given it to them!
But seriously, of all the organisations they could target, why choose the DNC? Surely all the dirt on Trump will become public knowledge shortly in any case? And who is in charge of DNC security? The same guy who looked after Hillary’s server?
My guess is that the DNC is a relatively low security target.
The information they have is likely not anything that couldn’t be found out through due diligence but why go through the effort if some other schmuck is going to do it for you?
“likely not anything that couldn’t be found out through due diligence”
Exactly. This is much ado about very little.
Think about what the DNC is. Its just not Hillary’s campaign arm. It is the hub of one of the nation’s political party. Congress, Senators, Governors, donor networks, state parties all interact with the DNC. …the whole 9 yrds. Why do they want to know? Who is up and coming. Who is in trouble politically. Who has money trouble. What is the strategy about Congress and upcoming bills. What is the gossip about the White House. What is the gossip and info on HRC…..
And I’m sure CIA/NSA is in certain parts of the Communist Party of PRC and current ruling organizations in Russia.
R
Most of this stuff is already known, I bet. Just not publicly acknowledged. Just like the information about a certain Senator from South Carolina. Do political junkies really not know who are the alleged up and comers in the Democratic Party? Booker and the Castro brothers certainly are. This has to be more fuel for the cause to dump DWS. Unless accountability doesn’t matter.
One-stop shopping?
As one pundit pointed out, this is not unusual. What is unusual is that they got caught. Following that logic it wouldn’t be surprising if they have hacked the RNC and more, but just haven’t been caught.
One group got in last year and sat on the email and chat/messaging server undetected (sound familiar ?).
A different group were clumsier and got noticed digging into Trump research files and other things. DNC IT called in the troops (private with deep TLA connections) which did a complete audit and found the first group. With out the 2nd, less skillful, the Ruskies would still be reading Shultz’s emails.
R
——-excerpt——–
One group, which CrowdStrike had dubbed Cozy Bear, had gained access last summer and was monitoring the DNC’s email and chat communications, Alperovitch said.
The other, which the firm had named Fancy Bear, broke into the network in late April and targeted the opposition research files. It was this breach that set off the alarm. The hackers stole two files, Henry said. And they had access to the computers of the entire research staff — an average of about several dozen on any given day.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/russian-government-hackers-penetrated-dnc-sto
le-opposition-research-on-trump/2016/06/14/cf006cb4-316e-11e6-8ff7-7b6c1998b7a0_story.html
They hacked the DNC…um…ok
From the article : “The intrusion into the DNC was one of several targeting American political organizations. The networks of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were also targeted by Russian spies, as were the computers of some GOP political action committees, U.S. officials said. But details on those cases were not available.”
In other words, someone is putting their thumbs on the information leak scales to make the DNC look weak. If the MIC has decided they want Trump in charge we’re fucked.
Yes, but so are they. I really don’t think they want Trump in charge.
Well, there’s been a history of security problems at the DNC, and before on Hillary’s private email server.
Russians see Clinton as a bigger threat than Trump. I’m sure if the DNC has oppo research stored in its computers there they’ve gathered it up. Maybe they’ve got some juicy stuff on Clinton.
I think this is fantastic! I hope the Russians got hold of the master plan for the nationwide vote fraud that Steven D has been working so diligently to expose on these pages. And if it’s not there on the DNC server, then we’ll know that Hillary Clinton has it on another server of her own, and Darrell Issa will be able to subpoena it.
Not that I wrote that, I don’t understand why Steven D hasn’t been all over this subpoena option already.
NOW that I wrote that…
Cut it out.
Cut what out? The Truth Is Out There, after all. We must support Darrell Issa’s subpoenas!
I don’t agree with many of Steven’s recent posts either, but the place for disagreement is on THOSE posts.
Steven is a longtime poster here -Steve and I held down the fort a year or so ago when Booman had to take a break, if you will recall- and it us extremely disrespectful and offbase to talk about him like that on a thread that be has nothing to do with.
Attack the ideas, not the man. You are out of line here.
I wrote that Steven D has been working diligently to expose, on these pages, electoral fraud. That’s true.
I also wrote in what I thought was obviously an ironic fashion that Steven D ought to get behind imaginary (but plausible) subpoenas coming from Darrell Issa, one of the GOP’s most aggressive attack dogs, to expose the alleged fraud. In no way did I attack Steven D.
Evidently irony fell flat again. I’ll apologize for that and try to avoid irony in the future.
By the way, if you wish to read actual attacks on Steven D, see the comments to his recent piece on alleged electoral fraud. The stuff I wrote there was primarily nerdy, dealing with statistics, but other commenters trashed Steven D’s thesis thoroughly and didn’t necessarily spare remarks about the author.
If I misinterpreted your post, my apologies.
I’ver seen the personal attacks on Steven D. I’ve been fairly harsh on some of his statements as well. I just didn’t care for the commentary about a longtime member of the Pond -one who’s been here even longer than me, and I’ve been here FOREVER- in what seemed to be a behind-his-back fashion.
Again, if I got that wrong, my apologies.
We’re good.
I enjoy this website and appreciate the people who keep it going and allow the rest of us to comment. SO thanks for your efforts.
This is exactly what intelligence is about. Its not all missile plans and bomber dispositions; it is predicting what your opponent will do when presented with certain situations. The more info you have on them, the better the predictions.
That is why HRC’s email server would be a big juicy target for any foreign country or multinational corporation having to deal with the US. And that is why its naïve to think it was not targeted and penetrated.
Ridge
It’s like the man said:
“All your base are belong to us.”
Maybe that’s why she didn’t have any actually secret information on it.
I’s sure the DNC server didn’t have any classified info on it but they were quite interested in it. There is military intelligence and political intelligence. It can be argued the political is more important. What HRC was telling her family, friends and colleagues (and what they were telling her) on the private server would be valuable to any number of advisories or multinational corporations.
R
“It can be argued the political is more important.”
That’s quite possible. But it also supports the point that she didn’t endanger the security of the US government. Which is what all the hullabaloo is allegedly about.
No actually she didn’t follow the rules of the department she was chosen to lead.
The right wing screeching for the last year+ is just that, however in the end she did break the rules of the state department, according to the inspector general of the state department.
PS it ain’t me making this one up;
State Department report slams Clinton email use
State Dept. inspector general report sharply criticizes Clinton’s email practices
State Department audit finds Hillary Clinton broke agency rules with private email server
Clinton Broke Federal Rules With Email Server, Audit Finds
State Dept. watchdog: Clinton violated email rules
Hillary Clinton’s email server violated state department rules, audit finds
Hillary Clinton Is Criticized for Private Emails in State Dept. Review
Just as the blue dress stain was a self-inflicted boneheaded mistake totally on Bill, this one is the same for Hillary..
Will it stop her from getting elected, most probably not. Will the wing-nuts use it to “impeach” her? They will try, buty probably fail just like they failed to impeach Bill for the blue dress stain.
Neither should have done what they did as we are left to defend them from the wingnuts for their selfish actions.
I’m pretty sure that I said that “she didn’t have any actually secret information on it” and “didn’t endanger the security of the US government.” I’m almost certain I didn’t say that “she didn’t break any State Department rules.”
Word for word what you said,
My reply shows that it isn’t necessarily true.
The hullabaloo might be about Hillary not following the rules, like all those news stories comment on.
GWBridge update: Christie’s Destroyed and Missing Evidence is Like Nixon’s Missing Tapes, Bridgegate Lawyers Say.
Marie3–I’ll bet you remember that famous, ludicrous photograph of Nixon’s secretary Rose Mary Woods demonstrating how she was supposed to have accidently erased 18-1/2 minutes of a potentially incriminating tape. I expect Christie’s staff “accidentally” did something similar.
I do. A difference is that more ordinary people had a better sense of BS smell back then than they have today.
It took just under a year from the Watergate break-in to recognition that the Nixon WH was involved. From that point on it was only 15-16 months to Nixon’s resignation. Lots of stuff in-between. Resignations/firing of Ehrlichman, Haldeman, and Dean, (Mitchell was indicted 5/73 on a separate matter and Martha Mitchell was engaged in drinking and dialing), Congressional hearings, (Agnew resigns over a separate criminal activity), Saturday night massacre, Indictment of WH and CRP officials, Nixon’s report on Watergate (April ’74, and House impeachment committee.
We’re now twenty-one months from the GWBridge closing and the NJ legislature is doing nothing and the US attorney’s investigation is either stalled or dead.
ThinkProgress — Chris Christie Calls For The U.S. Military To Retaliate For The Orlando Massacre. He’s Not Sure Where..
At least Trump and HRC called for dropping more bombs on ISIS.
He’s afraid ISIS will steal his doughnuts.
My pessimism over the Democratic campaign’s competence just increased. Who is in charge of computer security at the DNC? They just had done to the them what the Office of Personnel Management had done earlier. Someone heisted the crown jewels.
Where was NSA’s defensive cybersecurity capabilities protecting our political and economic assets?
Expect to hear lots about this in the context of why Hillary Clinton can’t keep us safe. And hope someone has some Putin-Trump emails.
But we are still on track to the Great Coronation in July. And the Democratic blogs are still thinking that Democrats can’t possibly lose to Trump. Just like who would possibly be interested in the information at the DNC. Right?
Business as usual. Complacent. Status quo. Boring messaging. Blindsided by events. And angry that Bernie Sanders brought around a big pot of coffee.
Wouldn’t describe DNC oppo research as the “crown jewels.” Unless it includes disinformation propaganda plans and other assorted dirty trick operations to defeat any and all enemies including Bernie.
I’m somewhat more curious as to why the DNC would go public with the hacking allegation.
Given that Trump and Putin seem to belong to a mutual fan club, the likelihood of sharing files seems less than remote.
The funny thing about Bernie’s coffee, is that only the ones drinking it seem to think it’s got any kick. The majority of voters, measured over the length of a long, competitive primary – I assume that’s what you mean by “coronation” – think someone accidentally brewed the Green Mountain Decaf.
But maybe there’s something we can agree on here: Here’s an opportunity to shake things up at the DNC. Bernie gets a head on the plate and can save a little face, while the party has an alibi to avoid the appearance of capitulation to his demands. Everybody wins.
People are aware this isn’t the first time foreign governments have hacked into our parties’ and candidates’ operations, right?
The Chinese hacked the Obama and McCain campaigns eight years ago. They hacked Romney four years ago. I’m sure the Russians did too. Just as I’m sure we hack them.
The only interesting thing in all of it appears to be that the Trump oppo file appears to be made up entirely of stuff that’s in the public domain, so Russia basically just pissed away money.
The OPM comparison is silly. OPM is an actual governmental agency, and leaving its personnel files without encryption is a bit more outrageous than a political party getting hacked by the FSB. Expecting a political party or campaign to be any match for a state actor, especially one on the level of Russia, in the realm of cybersecurity is ridiculous.
Stop being a drama queen.
LawNewz
And the beat goes on.
A Black Swan, October Surprise?
More like a cover up.
The hacking of the DNC by the Russians is small potatoes compared to what is coming next if it’s true that Russia is reportedly set to release Clinton’s intercepted emails.
“U.S. sources indicated that the extensive Department of Justice probe was more focused on the possibility that the private server was used to protect messaging in which Secretary Clinton allegedly discussed quid pro quo transactions with private donors to the Clinton Foundation in exchange for influence on U.S. policy.”
For this to work Russia must release the Hillary’s emails because anything short of that would lead to the conclusion that this was a psychological operation from who-knows-where. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting on the FBI to do it since Obama’s with her.
In the Politico piece Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said. “It gives me pause to believe that Secretary Clinton’s [email] wasn’t hacked.” It gives me pause as well.
“Moscow’s discreet messaging about a possible leak of the traffic, in time to impact the U.S. elections, was designed to pressure faster U.S. legal action on the matter, but was largely due to Russian concerns about possible U.S. strategic policy in the event of a Hillary Clinton presidency.”.
I worry that Hillary will start yet another unnecessary war, this time with Russia. If Putin decides to release Hillary’s emails I would tend to think he agrees. Hurry up please, before the Democrat Convention; there is still time to save the world.
I never thought I would see the day when we would look to Russia to save the Democrat Party from itself.
http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Russia-Is-Reportedly-Set-To-Release-Intercepted-Me
ssages-From-Clintons-Private.html?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=im
Democratic Party, please. Although I’m no longer a member, I don’t presume to rename them, at least with Ronald Reagan’s name.
Yawn. Another conspiracy theorist heard from. How tiring it must be to mindlessly repeat the constant ooga-booga from the right. I know it’s tiresome to read.
Glad you’re able to quote from a quote from the magazine with “INSIDE EVERY LIBERAL IS A TOTALITARIAN SCREAMING TO GET OUT” for its motto. Next stop, StormFront!
http://www.blacklistednews.com/Debunked:_No,_Russia_Is_Not_About_to_Release_Hillary%E2%80%99s_Emails
/51913/0/38/38/Y/M.html
Pretty sure that Bernie wouldn’t be proud of having you as a supporter.
Hilarious analysis.
I wonder why this announcement and why now. I suspect that there is a reason for Clinton associates to release this now that the primaries are over.
Here’s a thought: H. Clinton is certainly the most warlike candidate we’ve had in awhile. You could say that Dubya was more warlike, but he generally seemed more interested in clearing brush than what was going on in the Mideast. That is, he was onboard but all the heavy lifting was done by the permanent Military-Industrial Complex.
Hillary has suggested confronting Russia in various arenas. The no-fly zone in Syria. The retaking of Crimea. The undercutting of the Minsk II agreement. The war games in the Baltics. The various political machinations in denying Russia alternative pipelines for its natural gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine.
So this announcement serves two purposes. First, if the Russians have gathered negative info on Clinton herself (a more likely target for Russia) then it can be explained away as Russian propaganda. Leftists who come up with negative information about Clinton can be dismissed as commie puppets, whether or not the information is true or if it flowed through Russian hands.
The second reason is that we will have another narrative after H. Clinton is elected. Like the silly story that Dubya was finishing the job that his dad followed, Hillary will attack Russia because “this time it’s personal.”
Yet another take on this: Laying the groundwork for another Gulf of Tonkin.
If Facebook shuts down one day and the NSA says Russia did it, and now we go to war, who is going to prove different?
Essentially, the US is expanding reasons for war, and a cyber attack as a reason for war is notoriously difficult to prove.
Russia has no need for the DNC’s oppo research. Now, maybe the Republicans’ oppo research.
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2016/06/a-russian-government-hacking-attack-or-another-gulf-of-tonkin-f
ake-.html
The only person out there crazy enough to go to war with Russia is Donald Trump.
The Smoking Gun — DNC Hacker Releases Trump Oppo Report
But the DNC was clever to get ahead of the story with the announcement that the Russians did it. Perhaps “the Russians” did get in as well, but if so and the cyber-sleuths hired by the DNC are competent and didn’t just guess, then it appears they missed detecting “Guccifer 2.0” who claims to have been trawling the DNC servers for a year.