Comments on: Alleged Palin hacker indicted

College student accused of hacking into vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's e-mail account was indicted Tuesday and has turned himself in to authorities.

[suntzu1986]

The fact is the kid shouldnt have hacked into an email account. Being as its Sarah Palin's email account, he will probably spend time in jail. If he were to hack into my email account, nobody would care. Its how the world works. Hacking is illegal and he should have a punishment, five years in jail seems a little harsh, but if that is what it is, that is what it is. I really feel that yahoo should have better security though. I mean, it was like two questions and he was in. Thats a little pathetic. If he was smart he wouldnt have used HIS OWN COMPUTER! You have to laugh, that its is the son of a major democrat though. I doubt that his father had anything to do with it. I bet it was just a bet or something through a couple friends or something. Justice will come, but im sure his father will pull some strings and all will be well.

[dpchris]

What he did was wrong, and he should be punished for what he did. But Sarah Palin should be taking a beating for this too. Government officials should not be using private email accounts to conduct state business. The obvious reason for why one would want to do so is to avoid having one's emails monitored, which implies the content of those messages is shady at best.

[samgmcf]

Several reviewers of my earlier comment (samgmcf, 4th or 5th in the list of comments) thought that I must be a Republican to want to jail and fine the hacker of Gov. Palen's account. Actually, I am a staunch democrat, a strong supporter of Obama. Political campaigns and disagreements do not excuse dirty tricks or illegalities by either Republicans or Democrats. The illegalities of one side do not excuse illegalities on the other. It is downright childish to think that they do. So as a staunch Democrat, I still want to see the hacker of Gov. Palin's account arrested and tried.

[even28]

Let's set a few things straight, since I was at the website where this "attack" took place, and I use the word "attack" very loosely here.

He was behind a proxy to conceal his information, but in the screenshots he posted, he left identifying information in the URL. AND he used a USA proxy, so he got busted. Dumb move.

This was done on 4chan, so there was no motive behind this besides for the lulz.

He did uncover a problem though. Having government officials use public e-mail to conduct business is a no-no, and this just proves that. ESPECIALLY when your password reset questions are "What's your zip code" and "What's your birthday" and "Where did you meet your spouse" - I mean, seriously? A google search can provide all of that.

I don't condone invasion of privacy, but I hope officials learn to keep business off private accounts.

[danbry82]

There is one thing that always reminds me of just how confused most of general US population is: everybody seems to be blinded by one side or the other. As if both sides cannot be wrong.

Palin's group is a sloppy mess if they used Yahoo for email comms and got hacked. Anybody who knows security knows that you don't put the keys under a rock in the backyard. Fools. Just like the rest of our current political posse. Fools. Shortsighted fools with no consideration for what will happen in the next two years. And the pile of losers who worked with Clinton were no better. Greenspan, Congress, etc. They don't have the sense to work together. Pass the hot potato to the next in line. Hotter all the time. Disgusting.

And the kid should be paid for performing a security audit and exposing the weaknesses. The judge should take that into consideration since it is obvious that the kid won't get any money for the great job he did.

The kid should also do time for exposing the info -- he did it with malicious (and no doubt, partisan) intentions in mind. What he did there was criminal. Not because it was partisan, but because it was wrong. Period. You don't walk through a screen door, walk out leaving the hole, and put an ad in the paper advertising that the house is open for anyone else.

There is one thing that always reminds me of just how confused most of general US population is: everybody seems to be blinded by one side or the other. As if both sides cannot be wrong. And as you know, there is PLENTY wrong with the US right now. Stop defending the choices without looking carefully first.

[bobby_brady]

"And the kid should be paid for performing a security audit and exposing the weaknesses. "

LMAO!! Tell me where you live and I'll perform a free security audit on your house!!! I'll also post it online and tell everyone!!!

What a fool!

[MrEthiopian]

Whoever intentionally accesses a protected computer without authorization, and as a result of such conduct, causes damage. 18 U.S.C. § 1030 (a)(5)(c)(emphasis supplied).

Please explain the damage that was caused?

[MrEthiopian]

Whoever intentionally accesses a protected computer without authorization, and as a result of such conduct, causes damage. 18 U.S.C. § 1030 (a)(5)(c)(emphasis supplied).

Is the damage that Palin was found out for breaking another law, using a private email for government business.

[danbry82]

MrEthiopian.....

The damage is that the kid *enabled* other people to login to the account. Read the story and think about it. If the kid had went in, went out and locked up the account, there would have been no damages.

You can't possibly be so simple-minded that you can't see the impact of unlocking a door, walking in but taking nothing, and advertising to the entire city of criminals that the door is now unlocked...

I am amazed I am even wasting my time explaining it to you, MrEthiopian. I should send you some brain food instead. I assume you are a Democrat. LOL

[MrEthiopian]

This still does not tell me what damage was caused, the password was given to one person, that person changed the account password and then notified one of Palin friends.

Even if her account information was released, no one went into the account and did damage, deleted information, sent emails to others. Only screen shots were taken. A good layer could argue that no damage was done and hence the law does not apply.

And I'm a registered independent, I voted Republican in the primary but am NOT voting for McCain.

[danbry82]

Sorry, that was a bad joke, and seemed partisan. But really, use your head. Don't be blinded by your fervor to condemn one party or another. They are both wrong and both right. The question is "how do we make the best of what steaming pile of dung we are handed by our gov"....

[MrEthiopian]

I never brought up politics an any of my responses here, that was you injecting your political insecurity in to my retort. You need to look at your self and think long and hard about your responses because your the one bringing disinformation into this discussion.

Done

[even28]

danbry82, there were no damages caused in your analogy. That would be like taping a sign to your door saying "the key is under the mat."

The first guy walks in and looks around, then tells the neighborhood, "Hey, the key is under the mat!"

He would get charged for trespassing at most, but can't be charged for telling everyone where the key is. Let's not confuse illegal with immoral.

[Lerianis]

This isn't even immoral, in my opinion. This is a VERY moral thing, done by someone who though that an elected official was pulling a fast one. Until he got evidence (which he got by 'breaking' into this e-mail account), he would have been laughed at..... nobody's laughing now, though they are focusing wrongly on what he did, not what Palin did.

[danbry82]

Fair enough. The bottom line is that IMMORAL is wrong too. Don't hack into people's email accounts. Do perform free security audits. Don't play partisan politics. Do help the nation to clarify what is important to recovery and what is not. If we didn't have idiots, criminals, and people who otherwise "live outside of the law" we wouldn't be wasting time and money on this issue.

THAT is the big issue. China and every COMPETITION we have does not waste their time on this crap. We have freedom to waste our time and money everywhere. And do so.

This conversation should never have had to happen. Palin's foolish crew shouldn't be using non-governmental email systems for a slew of reasons, not the first of which is that if there is a need to recover any data, WE THE PEOPLE have to pay an additional fee (to Yahoo) for any recovery. Instead, I'd rather the gov email people do the job they are already paid to do. Manage her email. And make her follow the policies (password policies, etc) that they were wise enough to create. NOT the non-policies that she shot herself in the foot with. LOL. Nice gun, dumbss. Nice body except for that hole in your foot, dumbss (I'm a Republican, btw...)

Also,

All these conversations are costing you and me time. We have more important things to do. Palin should stick to the rules, the kid should stick to his homework so he can get a real job when they let him free, and I should get back to helping my customers who need their IT systems managed.

I wish you all the best, and good luck getting focused and back to work.

[danbry82]

Good suggestion: don't use "Replies" , instead post a new subject so nobody overlooks the info. Here is my reply to "even28"

Fair enough. The bottom line is that IMMORAL is wrong too. Don't hack into people's email accounts. Do perform free security audits. Don't play partisan politics. Do help the nation to clarify what is important to recovery and what is not. If we didn't have idiots, criminals, and people who otherwise "live outside of the law" we wouldn't be wasting time and money on this issue.

THAT is the big issue. China and every COMPETITION we have does not waste their time on this crap. We have freedom to waste our time and money everywhere. And do so.

This conversation should never have had to happen. Palin's foolish crew shouldn't be using non-governmental email systems for a slew of reasons, not the first of which is that if there is a need to recover any data, WE THE PEOPLE have to pay an additional fee (to Yahoo) for any recovery. Instead, I'd rather the gov email people do the job they are already paid to do. Manage her email. And make her follow the policies (password policies, etc) that they were wise enough to create. NOT the non-policies that she shot herself in the foot with. LOL. Nice gun, dumbss. Nice body except for that hole in your foot, dumbss (I'm a Republican, btw...)

Also,

All these conversations are costing you and me time. We have more important things to do. Palin should stick to the rules, the kid should stick to his homework so he can get a real job when they let him free, and I should get back to helping my customers who need their IT systems security managed.

I wish you all the best, and good luck getting focused and back to work.

[bobby_brady]

What a dumbas$ this guy is. Now he's going to pay the price for his dumbshet actions. Doesn't matter who's account he broke into. It was a stupid move on his part such stupidity deserves the time he'll be getting.

[MrEthiopian]

?darnby82?

This still does not tell me what damage was caused, the password was given to one person, that person changed the account password and then notified one of Palin friends.

Even if her account information was released, no one went into the account and did damage, deleted information, sent emails to others. Only screen shots were taken. A good layer could argue that no damage was done and hence the law does not apply.

And I'm a registered independent, I voted Republican in the primary but am NOT voting for McCain.



I never brought up politics an any of my responses here, that was you injecting your political insecurity in to my retort. You need to look at your self and think long and hard about your responses because your the one bringing disinformation into this discussion.

Done

[danbry82]

MrEthiopian, this issue and my point has nothing to do with politics. It has to do with foolish and meddling people who have nothing better to do with their time.

Palin was foolish. She chose to make a decision, one that is wasting my money. I assume you are in Africa so I won't expect you to concur nor see how this never should have been allowed to happen. Palin should pay a cost. To me. To the kid. And she should use the system we provided her with. It is there for good reason. It is better and more secure than Yahoo's webmail.

The kid was meddling. He did hack into her account, even if it was a simple hack. He should pay a cost to her. Her email was none of his business. But he still did perform a penetration test and should be given consideration for that work well done.

Americans don't know what it means to focus on the most important issues and how to divide their energies as appropriate. That is the reason we will be owned by another country soon. Example: Instead of watching TV for only 30 minutes a day (which is probably more than it deserves), they watch it for hours every day. Instead of running away to someone else's life on the fooltube they should be teaching kids, or cutting costs, or otherwise making the country strong. NOT watching reality TV and having inane arguments on message boards.

Yes, done.

[MrEthiopian]

Idiocy, you blame Americas wows on watching too much TV, dude you are a loony! Americas present problems come from repugnant republicans greed and mismanagement , Republicans are the ones that brought on the 1929 great depression. After the Enron downfall the republicans bandage was SOX a set of rules public companies must adhere too along with yearly external audits to prove SOX was being enforced. The problem was only legitimate, honest companies adhered to SOX and our government does nothing. SOX, GLB etc financial laws clearly state what is against the law and company like the leamon bro, and AIG have broken those laws, per the laws all C level and some directors should be held accountable, to date I have seen no actions from our wonderful government.

Bush took over 8 years ago, he was given a surplus of money to work from, over the course of 8 years of mismanagement we now have the biggest deficit in the history of the USA, Bush and his people should also be held accountable, impeach/ jail / fine.

You state that I'm Africa, yet I have told you how I voted in the Primary, use your head, read my response DB

[Kwasiowusu]

@ jennessent :"I agree that the kid shouldn't break in to personal email accounts, but it is pretty clear that Sarah Palin used her personal account for government business "

Groan!
Are you Daily Kos crazies for real?
Now why don't you show me ANY law in Alaska or this country that says Governors cannot use a Yahoo account or any other account they like to send any mail they want?
The lunacy of the left in this country never ceases to amaze.

[danbry82]

She was using non-government email systems to send government-related email. That is a no-no.

Why? No security policies in place (obviously), a third-party system under no regulation (it's free email, silly... you get what you pay for... in this case, the ability to shoot yourself in the foot by choosing to use a password-reset scheme keyed with information publicly accessible/guessable).

If she had been following the rules, she wouldn't have this problem. And WE THE PEOPLE wouldn't have the problem with her. And we would be able to get her emails in 5 years when she is alleged to have done something wrong.

Instead, now if it ever came to it Yahoo can just say "we're sorry, we lost that tape backup....". Nobody to hang. WE THE PEOPLE need the ability to punish lawbreakers when they break the law, and we need an auditing and accounting trail to do so.

Yahoo has no commitment nor responsibility to protect the content of her government emails that were passed through the Yahoo email system.

Now, if she hadn't used Yahoo for government emails, this wouldn't be an issue. But we saw that she had used Yahoo for business (government) emails.

I say she owes the email admin in AK a job. A nice slick one. Wet. She can help with her firm grip and deep understandings. Plenty of that to go around in Palin's vicinity, I'm sure. It is slippery and wet there most of the year. LOL. It's only fair. At least we know what to expect from her (in this case...). There is no telling what she will try to get away with next. I sure hope Obama wins. Too bad he is soooooo left but McPalin is no option.

[Kwasiowusu]

:@ danbry82 "She was using non-government email systems to send government-related email. That is a no-no."

# 1. there is no law in Alska saying the Governor cannot do that.

# 2. there was nothing confidential about the emails that this Obama Nazi storm trooper plastered all over the internet.

# 3. this guy should be tried to the full range of the law, and put in a jail for as long as the law allows.

[jordousr1]

The guy is hero in my book for exposing the lies and illegal activity of the dumb a$$ white trash ***** that wants to be VP of the country. Can't wait for her and Mc Bush to get hammered in the election. Then she go crawl back under the rock she came from.

[rob1138]

For all of you who think Republicans are the root of all evil. What political party filibusered the Civil Rights Bill? Give up? The Democrates, dont belive me?

http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Civil_Rights_Filibuster_Ended.htm

Both parties are not perfect. You will never have a system where everyone is happy.

[MrEthiopian]

Idiocy, you blame Americas wows on watching too much TV, dude you are a loony! Americas present problems come from repugnant republicans greed and mismanagement , Republicans are the ones that brought on the 1929 great depression. After the Enron downfall the republicans bandage was SOX a set of rules public companies must adhere too along with yearly external audits to prove SOX was being enforced. The problem was only legitimate, honest companies adhered to SOX and our government does nothing. SOX, GLB etc financial laws clearly state what is against the law and company like the leamon bro, and AIG have broken those laws, per the laws all C level and some directors should be held accountable, to date I have seen no actions from our wonderful government.

Bush took over 8 years ago, he was given a surplus of money to work from, over the course of 8 years of mismanagement we now have the biggest deficit in the history of the USA, Bush and his people should also be held accountable, impeach/ jail / fine.

You state that I'm Africa, yet I have told you how I voted in the Primary, use your head, read my response DB