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News & ArtsThursday, October 8, 2009
Crime / Teh Internets This Does Not Bode Well For National Security
Posted by Grant Brissey on Thu, Oct 8, 2009 at 1:55 PM
This is sort of troubling. Now he's giving speeches on cybercrime?
FBI Director Robert Mueller was in San Francisco on Wednesday to advocate public vigilance against cybercrime. Speaking to the non-profit public affairs org, the Commonwealth Club of California, Mueller admitted that he himself barely dodged a con from the oldest trick in the cyber-criminal handbook.Mueller recalled how, not long ago, he received an email purportedly from his bank that looked "perfectly legitimate." The email requested he verify some personal information, and Mueller obliged with the instructions before realizing "this might not be such a good idea."
The FBI chief said he quickly changed all his passwords and tried to pass the incident off to his wife as a "teachable moment." But she replied: "It is not my teachable moment. However, it is our money. No more internet banking for you!"
When one anonymous questioner wrote "I'm not worried about a teenage hacker reading my email. I'm worried about you reading it."
Mueller responded that the questioner should in fact worry about the teenager "so much more" than the FBI. The G-man general said while preventing internet crime is incredibly difficult, the US government has struck "a pretty good balance" between respecting civil liberties and stewarding national security.
h/t: the Register
1
The Director of the FBI clicked on an e-mail and entered personal information? For crying out loud. How dumb do you have to be in this day and age to fall for that? Totally agree that this doesn't bode well.
3
I'm actually more concerned about the second point:
>"..a pretty good balance" between respecting civil liberties and stewarding national security."
It keeps getting drilled into people's heads there is some sort of trade-off between personal liberties and security. THERE ISN'T. So long as law enforcement keeps to this attitude, they are actually our biggest threat. Mueller's response only validates the concerns of the commenter, and he's too stupid to realize it.
>"..a pretty good balance" between respecting civil liberties and stewarding national security."
It keeps getting drilled into people's heads there is some sort of trade-off between personal liberties and security. THERE ISN'T. So long as law enforcement keeps to this attitude, they are actually our biggest threat. Mueller's response only validates the concerns of the commenter, and he's too stupid to realize it.
4
This lovely story really exemplifies everything that goes wrong when technology turns over faster than human generations do.
Adaptability and flexible thinking need to become the foremost priorities of public education, pronto, or we're pretty much fucked in the long term.
I mean... seriously, Mueller? You got phished? You fucking old idiot. Time to go to the rest home. I shudder to think what you envision when someone with a more agile mind tries to describe the state of intellectual property law to you.
Adaptability and flexible thinking need to become the foremost priorities of public education, pronto, or we're pretty much fucked in the long term.
I mean... seriously, Mueller? You got phished? You fucking old idiot. Time to go to the rest home. I shudder to think what you envision when someone with a more agile mind tries to describe the state of intellectual property law to you.
5
I don't feel so good about him or his "assurances". I'm no genius and even I know the guy got suckered WAY too easily.
6
My favorite part is where he admits he had to "change all his passwords."
So ... either he is even more confused than this story suggests ... or he actually DID have to change them all because they were ALL THE SAME.
Either way, not a good answer.
So ... either he is even more confused than this story suggests ... or he actually DID have to change them all because they were ALL THE SAME.
Either way, not a good answer.
7
Now that we know that old folks can outsmart the script kiddies at SLOG Poll Central, one would think he'd realize those Gray Panthers could just as easily get all riled up and Birther out in an attack on the Fed or the Treasury.
One slip up and our whole bank balance as a nation will be negative.
...
oh, wait, it already is. never mind.
One slip up and our whole bank balance as a nation will be negative.
...
oh, wait, it already is. never mind.
8
Tonight, 7-9pm, Broadway Performance Hall:
Surveillance without Suspicion: Ex-FBI Agent Speaks for the ACLU
Learn about government wiretapping, “fusion centers,” the PATRIOT Act, and more at a special forum on Oct. 8 in Seattle. Speaker Mike German is a former Special Agent for the FBI who works for the ACLU as an expert on national security and privacy issues.
Seating is on a first-come, first served basis.
Reception to follow talk.
9
Yes, those damn teenage hackers and their international criminal organizations are ruining it for everybody.
Mueller is an idiot!
Was it teenage hackers who borrowed, gambled and spent America into its economic mess? Was it teenager hackers who borrowed a trillion from China to finance a foolish war? Was it teenage hackers who cranked up the presses to print a trillion or two to cover our war and gambling debts? Was it teenage hackers who have refused to grow the fuck up, take responsibility for their shit and fix the damn mess?
Keep hacking, kids, your parents and grandparents are all going to need your skills and experience someday to save their collective asses.
Mueller is an idiot!
Was it teenage hackers who borrowed, gambled and spent America into its economic mess? Was it teenager hackers who borrowed a trillion from China to finance a foolish war? Was it teenage hackers who cranked up the presses to print a trillion or two to cover our war and gambling debts? Was it teenage hackers who have refused to grow the fuck up, take responsibility for their shit and fix the damn mess?
Keep hacking, kids, your parents and grandparents are all going to need your skills and experience someday to save their collective asses.
10
At this point I think I'm most worried about him reading my e-mail and then unintentionally handing over the password to the giant FBI server to some teenage hacker.
12
Can we stop with the urban legend of the "teenage hacker" already? It's the fucking Russian mafia, and their spawn, that do most of the hacking, and have been for quite some time.
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