Russians Hack DNC, Get Trump Opposition Research

 

shutterstock_295517744From the WaPo, here’s one of the most potentially interesting stories of this cycle:

Russian government hackers penetrated the computer network of the Democratic National Committee and gained access to the entire database of opposition research on GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, according to committee officials and security experts who responded to the breach. The intruders so thoroughly compromised the DNC’s system that they also were able to read all email and chat traffic, said DNC officials and the security experts.

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.

More:

Some of the hackers had access to the DNC network for about a year, but all were expelled over the past weekend in a major computer cleanup campaign, the committee officials and experts said.

The DNC said that no financial, donor or personal information appears to have been accessed or taken, suggesting that the breach was traditional espionage, not the work of criminal hackers.

The intrusions are an example of Russia’s interest in the U.S. political system and its desire to understand the policies, strengths and weaknesses of a potential future president — much as American spies gather similar information on foreign candidates and leaders.

 

Published in Foreign Policy
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  1. KC Mulville Inactive
    KC Mulville
    @KCMulville

    I think this shows that the Chinese cover their tracks a little better.

    Perhaps they’re looking to see what the Democrats have on Trump. They don’t bother to discover the secrets against Clinton, because they likely have all of those already.

    • #1
  2. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    Next Trump tweet: “So it’s just not Hillary’s emails that Putin is reading, it’s anyone with a (D) after their name”

    • #2
  3. Austin Murrey Inactive
    Austin Murrey
    @AustinMurrey

    I’m chopped liver, that’s what it is.

    • #3
  4. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    Trump tweet after that: “Thanks DNC for giving Putin background on me for our first summit in 2017”

    • #4
  5. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  however seriously we think we take cyber-security, it isn’t serious enough.

    • #5
  6. Casey Inactive
    Casey
    @Casey

    I’d hate to be the spy who had to dig through emails.

    I just want to say everyone did a great job yesterday! :)

    Thanks! :)

    Thanks! ;)

    I just want to echo that! Great job everyone!

    Add my echo… great job!

    Really great job!

    Thanks, everyone!

    Yes, thanks from all of us. :)

    I’m so proud of our team. Superb effort. It is really a pleasure working with all of you.

    Thx, isn’t it your birthday? Happy Birthday!

    Happy Birthday!

    Happy B-Day!

    Let me echo that!!! LOL ;)

    • #6
  7. Douglas Inactive
    Douglas
    @Douglas

    Trump isn’t worried about anything in his DNC oppo file. He’s been winning despite the kind of stuff that’s in there, and will continue to. Far more interesting is the fact that the Russians now have confidential information on Democrats.

    • #7
  8. Eric Hines Inactive
    Eric Hines
    @EricHines

    The cynic in me is split on this.  On the one hand, the DNC consciously chose to expose their opposition research on Trump (and perhaps on other leading Republican candidates, but with Trump expected to be nominated, the Russians only collected data on him) to the Russians.

    On the other hand, with the Democrats’ evident disdain for security, computer or other, it’s entirely possible that they simply failed to take any serious protective precautions.

    Eric Hines

    • #8
  9. BrentB67 Inactive
    BrentB67
    @BrentB67

    Austin Murrey:I’m chopped liver, that’s what it is.

    I am still a fan.

    • #9
  10. Austin Murrey Inactive
    Austin Murrey
    @AustinMurrey

    BrentB67:

    Austin Murrey:I’m chopped liver, that’s what it is.

    I am still a fan.

    What’s worse is that I brought some comedy…well, bronze at least to this inherently funny news.

    But seriously folks, every time he posts a comment like this it costs me a fortune.

    • #10
  11. Israel P. Inactive
    Israel P.
    @IsraelP

    Maybe they planted false information for the Russians. Just to make it interesting.

    • #11
  12. billy Inactive
    billy
    @billy

    As I said on the Member Feed, if Putin wants to help Trump,he’ll turn this research over to the campaign.Having advanced warning of the opposition’s line of attack would be a huuge advantage.

    • #12
  13. Pseudodionysius Inactive
    Pseudodionysius
    @Pseudodionysius

    Better get some ice for that.

    • #13
  14. Paul Dougherty Member
    Paul Dougherty
    @PaulDougherty

    I figure that the Trump campaign and the Russkies are more one and the same than we want to acknowledge.

    If the Democrats had a file on Hillary (strickly for defensive purposes), would they admit to it being hacked and stolen?

    • #14
  15. dittoheadadt Inactive
    dittoheadadt
    @dittoheadadt

    billy:As I said on the Member Feed, if Putin wants to help Trump,he’ll turn this research over to the campaign.Having advanced warning of the opposition’s line of attack would be a huuge advantage.

    I think the Russians would find far more value in having dirt on President Hilliary Clinton, and blackmailing her with it (or using it to their advantage in other ways), than in helping Trump defeat her.

    • #15
  16. Mate De Inactive
    Mate De
    @MateDe

    Considering all those Silicon Valley Tech types tend to be Democrats, you would think they’d have better security software.

    • #16
  17. billy Inactive
    billy
    @billy

    dittoheadadt:

    billy:As I said on the Member Feed, if Putin wants to help Trump,he’ll turn this research over to the campaign.Having advanced warning of the opposition’s line of attack would be a huuge advantage.

    I think the Russians would find far more value in having dirt on President Hilliary Clinton, and blackmailing her with it (or using it to their advantage in other ways), than in helping Trump defeat her.

    If you’re Putin who would you prefer as President, Trump or Clinton?

    • #17
  18. Kevin Creighton Contributor
    Kevin Creighton
    @KevinCreighton

    Well, I’ll give the DNC full marks for consistency on their cyber security efforts…

    … consistently horrid, that is.

    • #18
  19. barbara lydick Inactive
    barbara lydick
    @barbaralydick

    Israel P.: Maybe they planted false information for the Russians. Just to make it interesting.

    Another possibility is that the Dems (possibly St Hill herself) left the back door open just to allow the Ruskies access.  Blame it on hackers, they’ll say, but they’ll take any opportunity from anyone to increase their edge against the Republicans.  Maybe she’s even playing kissy face with them for ‘strategic’ purposes.  Because we all know she has a soft spot in her heart for Russia (ignoring as she did at State Putin’s actions in the former SSRs, Europe in general, the Mideast, etc.

    • #19
  20. DocJay Inactive
    DocJay
    @DocJay

    Pseudodionysius:Better get some ice for that.

    More rapier wit to mix in the batter.

    • #20
  21. Douglas Inactive
    Douglas
    @Douglas

    Israel P.:Maybe they planted false information for the Russians. Just to make it interesting.

    They’re not that clever. And it probably never occurred to them that Russia would want to hack their servers. Everything is peachy with the reset and all.

    • #21
  22. Anuschka Inactive
    Anuschka
    @Anuschka

    Israel P.:Maybe they planted false information for the Russians. Just to make it interesting.

    You really think Washerwoman-Schultz is that clever?

    • #22
  23. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    False flag operation for HRC.  Now anything that comes out of her campaign no matter how heinous can be blamed on the DNC and Russians.

    • #23
  24. Lazy_Millennial Inactive
    Lazy_Millennial
    @LazyMillennial

    Imagine being the KGB guy who has to give Putin an update on the US Presidential race, complete with “The Apprentice” montage and explanation of “John Barron” and “John Miller”.

    Imagine Putin, realizing the USSR lost the Cold War to us.

    • #24
  25. Misthiocracy Member
    Misthiocracy
    @Misthiocracy

    Apparently, the hackers have now posted the oppo research on Trump online.

    How veeeery convenient that they supposedly had access to all of Hillary’s files, and yet this is the only stuff that they’ve chosen to release.

    Also, what media outlet d’you think they chose to shepherd this information?

    Gawker. They gave it to Gawker.

    I trust it’s not a violation of the CoC to opine that none of this passes the smell test?

    http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/283648-stolen-dnc-files-on-trump-leaked-online

    • #25
  26. Misthiocracy Member
    Misthiocracy
    @Misthiocracy

    Anuschka:

    Israel P.:Maybe they planted false information for the Russians. Just to make it interesting.

    You really think Washerwoman-Schultz is that clever?

    It doesn’t require much cleverness at all. Simply set up a ssh server with a low-strength password and fill it with stuff you want to be leaked. This server will be separate from the rest of the network, but attached to a known Hillary campaign IP address.

    • #26
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