FBI searches Kernell apt., roommates subpoenaed | ZDNet.com — There is something mildly funny about this fiasco. SO is this kid the one who also targeted Scientology? This should be fun to watch.
The FBI searched the apartment of David Kernell, the son of a Democratic Tennessee state representative, suspected of breaking into Sarah Palin’s Yahoo email account. Three of his roommates could testify before a Chattanooga grand jury.
And, hey, once you’ve hacked the governor’s email (because, it’s clear, this account was used for official business; it wasn’t just her account for family photos) and the entire Internet has fingered you as the culprit, why not throw a party? Apparently that’s what Kernell was doing because the FBI broke up a party when they stopped by to serve the search warrant.
Dweeb Dad, Cannot be too Happy
Can’t Yahoo just bail him out and hire him for exposing their security flaws?
Son of a politician hacking into another politician’s email account. This is what we can expect from “post-partisans” in Washington?
Put’em all up against a wall …
Would it be just as much fun if this crime was perpetrated by the son of a republican against the democratic candidates If that were the case I’m guessing that there would be outrage in media and especially on this blog.
In b4 “VAST LEFTWING CONSPIRACY”.
This kid is fucked. Expect the Justice Department to make an example of him. See you in about 20 years kid.
#1:
As I understand it, the ‘hacker’ simply used publicly available information to guess her security question and change her password. Probably not a good idea to use ‘Mother’s maiden name’ (or whatever) as a question when that information is available on the internet.
I must wonder, though, why she used Yahoo mail; one would think that a government official would prefer the (somewhat) more secure .gov servers.
I don’t think he was there because I have it on good authority that he was at a hotel with his dad last night.
I wouldn’t run too far with this part of the story until the FBI and secret service give a press release because all the reports point back to the same source.
I don’t think Kernell is responsible. He may be but I don’t think he is. Apparently Gabriel Ramuglia the Ctunnel guy whose service was the one used also doesn’t think David is responsible.
Without a doubt! There would be comparisons to Watergate, allegations of White House involvement, little green men, you name it.
You know, if you fire a gun into a crowd, its one level of illegality. If by the very same action, you kill a person, its mureder. If however you kill a person about to commit a second murder==you should get a pass.
Same with violations of privacy–one level of illegality. If however it exposes government employee corruption==you should get a pass if not a reward.
Reward good results while punishing bad conduct. Yes, ends justify means and it will be fortuitious==but how else to reward/punish the better instinct of people willing to take risks?
#3, we’ve already seen it. Earlier this decade, computer security was taken over by the Democrats, and Republicans weren’t happy about it, thinking the Dems would be looking through their stuff. Instead, Republican staffers on the Senate Judiciary Committee looked at memos for the Democrats. All they had to do was click on the icon that said Democrats instead of the one that said Republicans.
There was a big hubbub in the media over this Republican hacking. Lost in the mess was the contents of the memos, including one that said a judge should be opposed because he is Latino.
#9 especially when it supports your beliefs, right Bobbo. I imagine your position would be different if it had been Biden’s email that was compromised.
#11–gquaglia==I’m insulted you would post you think I’m as stupid and hypocritical as you are. TAKE IT BACK!!!
Burgle the house or email of ANYBODY and get caught–suffer the consequences. If the same action turns up government corruption==get a medal.
Don’t care who it is.
#8, Chuck COlson went to jail for the same crime that Kenneth Bacon got a slap on the wrist(when he leaked Linda Tripp’s DoD personnel file)
Did anyone read the computerworld account?
Doesn’t something seem fishy about it?
He won’t be going away for any length of time because he got put up to doing it… probably by someone on the right. (And remember, I’m the right-winger around here.)
The most interesting part of this story is that her e-mail was gov.palin@yahoo.com. Yes, Alaska is really so small that she could make her e-mail that and not get harassed.
Just because the FBI raids your apartment doesn’t mean you’re a suspect. LOL
#11, that was a low blow. #9 Bobbo was completely nonpartisan in his examples… which were interesting and relevant as usual.
Bobbo, great post once again.
Word of advice to the scumbag hacker:
Don’t drop your soap.
Let’s hurry up and imprison this 20 year old kid to Guantanamo for this heinous, terrorist like plot. We need the FBI, CIA, ATF, NSA, Interpol and Army Intellgince to get back to work going after after Bush supported white collar criminals.
….at least that’s what I suspect they were doing before this national emergency.
#16, LOL! You got that right. Sometimes they just do that sort of thing for sport.
But I think the true lesson of this whole story is that Sarah Palin is not presidential material. Using a yahoo address with an easily hacked password is fine for a hockey mom, but not the leader of the free world.
Then again, she can at least pronounce nuclear properly.
So, none of you saw TV coverage of the FBI “raid”. The bumblefingers brigade couldn’t find the right fracking apartment in the housing complex.
Some of the kids partying [it was the weekend, remember] were watching them go door-to-door trying to find Mister Popcorn.
This is a tech heavy area we all live in. We’re on a “more or less” tech blog…most of us work in tech related fields.
Now, think about all the people you vote for/against. Think of your mayor, sheriff, local councilmen, state assemblymen, all the way up to the POTUS. What do you think the average tech-IQ is of that group?
It’s hard to expect Sarah Palin to know the ins and outs of email security when her opponent (Joe Biden) and her running mate (McCain) most likely can’t program a VCR. How much do you think Obama really knows about secure passwords? They don’t cover that kind of thing in Law School.
(Actually, she can’t pronounce nuclear unless it’s written out for her has new-clear, but since the liberal hacks around here are dropping the ball in these threads, I won’t try to help them.)
#22 “It’s hard to expect Sarah Palin to know the ins and outs of email security when her opponent (Joe Biden) and her running mate (McCain) most likely can’t program a VCR. How much do you think Obama really knows about secure passwords?
The security of the computers on “The Hill” is a total joke. The House & Senate members don’t have any common security policies for their systems.
No one seems to care that she was breaking the law by using a personal account for state business.
From Techdirt:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080919/0137572312.shtml
While plenty of folks are talking about the cracking of Sarah Palin’s personal email account, the EFF is noting that the Justice Department’s own interpretation of email privacy laws may actually make it difficult to prosecute the hacker under the most obvious statute, the Stored Communications Act. You see, since the DOJ would prefer that your email not be considered private, it has interpreted emails that you’ve opened, but not deleted, as not being subject to the SCA. That’s thanks to a somewhat contorted reading of the law that suggests that an opened email is no longer considered either in temporary or intermediate storage — nor is it considered saved for backup purposes. Those happen to be the two requirements under the law. Thus, if the hacker accessed emails that Palin had already read, the DOJ may have trouble using the SCA, since its own statements (though, thankfully, not the courts) seem to believe that hacking in and reading already read emails is not covered by the law.
#25 “No one seems to care that she was breaking the law by using a personal account for state business.”
What law would that be, exactly?
#26 “Thus, if the hacker accessed emails that Palin had already read, the DOJ may have trouble using the SCA,”
I doubt the SCA is the only fed & state law criminalizing the act of breaking into a computer system… Like the CFAA & others.
27–Paddy===hahahaha. You are posting just like MikeN. Is that on purpose or are you that brain dead or lazy?
What law is referenced? The law that most governments/states/feds have that you can’t conduct state business over private emails. It violates a precept in government you have little respect for–accountability by making records available thru FOIA requests.
Silly–but still only one half-step below a dolt.
#29 “hahahaha. You are posting just like MikeN.
What are you babbling about? I couldn’t find the exact law so I asked the poster.
Do you have untreated mental problems or something?