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Hacking 101
Author: BobR    Date: 04/20/2017 13:17:57

Most people have no idea how hacking anything actually works. We've all seen the movies where several "nerds" wearing headsets are sitting in room with wires and cables going everywhere, and about 15 displays with all kinds of scrolling numbers and "code". They are all staring intently, typing feverishly, until one of them somberly announces "I'm in".

That's good for visual drama, but reality is a lot more mundane. The biggest resource for hacking isn't some special "code-breaker" program, but the human element. The tricks are many (by now, most people are already aware of "phishing" emails). Even the old "Nigerian Prince" letters that we used to get in snail mail are a form of hacking. It's all about using psychology to get people to react in a way you want them to. All it takes is an official looking email warning a person about an intrusion with a link to "change your password", and - boom - someone has your login credentials and has "hacked" the system.

That's why when the discussion is about the Russians "hacking the election", the definition of what is meant by that is crucial. In some minds, if the Russians didn't actually access the voting machines and vote-tallying systems, then the vote wasn't really "hacked". This is applying a very narrow definition of hacking to obfuscate the reality of how much the entire election was influenced by Russian psychological manipulation.

The reality is that a Russian think-tank took a two-pronged approach to achieve their goal of getting Donald tRump elected. The first prong "recommended the Kremlin launch a propaganda campaign on social media and Russian state-backed global news outlets to encourage U.S. voters to elect a president who would take a softer line toward Russia than the administration of then-President Barack Obama". The second one was to "intensify its messaging about voter fraud to undermine the U.S. electoral system’s legitimacy and damage Clinton’s reputation in an effort to undermine her presidency".

Russia Today [editor's note: generally referred to as "RT"] and Sputnik published anti-Clinton stories while pro-Kremlin bloggers prepared a Twitter campaign calling into question the fairness of an anticipated Clinton victory, according to a report by U.S. intelligence agencies on Russian interference in the election made public in January.
(report here).

The sad thing is - normally Democratic voters bought it. All of the negative stories about Clinton overshadowed the lifetime legacy she had of doing good works for our country. Our U.S. media didn't help, picking up and repeating the stories in an effort to keep the race close enough to be "interesting" so that viewers would keep tuning in. In other words: more entertainment than enlightenment.

The saddest of the "friendly fire" came from people who were once respected as "lefty" voices. The RT network is home to several of them, including Thom Hartmann, Ed Schultz, and Larry King. Another RT supporter also just happened to be running against Clinton in the general election. Jill Stein is seen in the photo below sitting at the same table as Vladimir Putin and disgraced former tRump national security advisor Michael Flynn at an RT network function.

https://media1.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2017_14/1955941/170405-putin-flynn-dinner-jhc-1700_2740adaac2e67a2ac1ec0bcdae1f8a56.nbcnews-fp-1200-800.jpg


Anyone who voted for the Green Party candidate because Clinton was "too moderate" should be ashamed. Even tRump has denied being helped by the Russians (lying though he is); Stein was happy to break bread with the Russian dictator if it helped her cause. It's a shame this photo wasn't more widely distributed to her deluded supporters before the election. The fact that she got as far as she did and as many votes as she did shows just how effective the Russian hacking of the election was.

This has been an extremely damaging and painful lesson for our country. Election interference isn't always big and splashy. Russia's intent was to cause Americans to lose faith in the candidates and the process, and it worked. America elected an easily manipulated buffoon, a useful idiot for their long-range plans.

Well done Russia. I hope we're a little more savvy next time.
 
 

50 comments (Latest Comment: 04/20/2017 19:07:44 by Mondobubba)
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Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2017 13:28:36
https://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/gg/up/sshot4fccd936f382f.jpg


Comment by Scoopster on 04/20/2017 13:29:03
Mornin' all!

The most problematic kind of hacking isn't even necessarily using a computer.

It's called social engineering, but it's been known by other names. Confidence game. Grifting.

Comment by Scoopster on 04/20/2017 13:30:42
Also.. Happy 4/20!! (forgive me for this next part)




Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 13:31:12
good morning.

There are still so many things that have yet to be uncovered with the depth and width of what was done to our country and this election.





Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 13:31:42
Quote by Scoopster:
Also.. Happy 4/20!! (forgive me for this next part)


.


Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 13:34:57
Holy Moly, Scoop! that video!




Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2017 13:37:00
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all!

The most problematic kind of hacking isn't even necessarily using a computer.

It's called social engineering, but it's been known by other names. Confidence game. Grifting.


See my post below.

Comment by Scoopster on 04/20/2017 13:38:20
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all!

The most problematic kind of hacking isn't even necessarily using a computer.

It's called social engineering, but it's been known by other names. Confidence game. Grifting.


See my post below.

Oh my how timely!

Comment by BobR on 04/20/2017 13:50:04
somewhat apropos of today's blog

(Mondo - you can ignore this...)

Comment by wickedpam on 04/20/2017 13:53:17
Morning

Comment by wickedpam on 04/20/2017 13:59:57
So you're tellin' me that its nothing like the movie Sneakers or Hackers? I find that very disappointing.

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 14:03:11
Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2017 14:05:39
Quote by BobR:
somewhat apropos of today's blog

(Mondo - you can ignore this...)


(Why?)

No, Bunny Spice. You are thinking of MI6. Watch a James Bond movie. GCHQ is more like the NSA.

The White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, claimed the “British spying agency” GCHQ had carried out the bugging. Spicer cited an unsubstantiated report on Fox News. Fox later distanced itself from the report.


Comment by Scoopster on 04/20/2017 14:05:44

Hmmm the link isn't working for me.

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2017 14:06:10
Quote by wickedpam:
So you're tellin' me that its nothing like the movie Sneakers or Hackers? I find that very disappointing.




Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 14:06:18
Quote by wickedpam:
So you're tellin' me that its nothing like the movie Sneakers or Hackers? I find that very disappointing.

I thought it was a 400 pound troll in mom's basement.

Comment by Scoopster on 04/20/2017 14:06:23
Did I just hear that Trump is going to Rome and refusing to meet with the Pope?

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 14:15:31
Quote by Scoopster:
Did I just hear that Trump is going to Rome and refusing to meet with the Pope?

I listened to the presser yesterday and I wasn't sure if it was that or the other way around.

Plans have not been made yet.

Comment by wickedpam on 04/20/2017 14:15:33
Quote by Scoopster:
Did I just hear that Trump is going to Rome and refusing to meet with the Pope?


He's only going for the never ending breadsticks and salad.

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 14:17:11
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Scoopster:
Did I just hear that Trump is going to Rome and refusing to meet with the Pope?


He's only going for the never ending breadsticks and salad.



Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 14:19:17
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Scoopster:
Did I just hear that Trump is going to Rome and refusing to meet with the Pope?

I listened to the presser yesterday and I wasn't sure if it was that or the other way around.

Plans have not been made yet.

There is this, which makes it sound like the WH forgot to make plans for the visit.

“We will be reaching out to the Vatican to see if an audience with the pope can be accommodated,” White House spokesman Sean Spicer said. “We would be honored to have an audience with his holiness.”

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke told AFP that, “as of the end of last week we had not had an official request for an audience but for sure we would welcome it.”



Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 14:41:10
This is disturbing.







Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 14:48:28







Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2017 15:19:35
Quote by Raine:









Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 15:26:41
Comment by Scoopster on 04/20/2017 15:27:33





Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 15:30:02
Quote by Scoopster:



KOMPROMised!


Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 15:33:11
I remember when he was totally disgusted by Trump and them suddenly Chaffetz endorsed.

Something must have happened in between -- and with him on the Itel committee, Ther eis this from yesterday.

Comment by wickedpam on 04/20/2017 15:34:13



same

Like seriously, he needs to stop talking since he left the party after his run and really did nothing to help unify after the convention. Its just making the Berniebruhs more annoying.

Comment by wickedpam on 04/20/2017 15:34:42
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Scoopster:



KOMPROMised!



This seems very hinky

Comment by wickedpam on 04/20/2017 15:46:31
Quote by wickedpam:



same

Like seriously, he needs to stop talking since he left the party after his run and really did nothing to help unify after the convention. Its just making the Berniebruhs more annoying.


And its pissing me off the Shaun King is up Bernie's ass with praise for how great Bernie is and who awful Dems and Hillary are/were/

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 15:47:05
I am REALLY GLAD they are talking about Bernie on the show right now.,.

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 15:47:45
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by wickedpam:



same

Like seriously, he needs to stop talking since he left the party after his run and really did nothing to help unify after the convention. Its just making the Berniebruhs more annoying.


And its pissing me off the Shaun King is up Bernie's ass with praise for how great Bernie is and who awful Dems and Hillary are/were/
I clicked him off my rader after she was nominated and he kept going.


Comment by Will in Chicago on 04/20/2017 15:51:56
Good morning, bloggers!!!

I hope that everyone is doing well. I am off today, job hunting and taking care of housework.

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 15:52:06





Comment by BobR on 04/20/2017 15:57:26
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by BobR:
somewhat apropos of today's blog

(Mondo - you can ignore this...)


(Why?)

aren't you always saying the Guardian is not a reliable source?

Comment by BobR on 04/20/2017 16:01:51
Quote by Raine:






You're gonna need a bigger net..

Comment by Will in Chicago on 04/20/2017 16:15:36
From listening to Thom, I fear what the job report numbers will look like after Trump starts having more of an impact on the economy.

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 16:22:02
Comment by Scoopster on 04/20/2017 16:36:41
oh jeez...




Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 16:42:39
Quote by Scoopster:
oh jeez...



via GIPHY



Comment by Will in Chicago on 04/20/2017 16:53:49


Kushner is about as unprepared as Icarus, and there is no Daedalus in sight.

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 17:08:56



Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2017 17:17:02
Quote by BobR:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by BobR:
somewhat apropos of today's blog

(Mondo - you can ignore this...)


(Why?)

aren't you always saying the Guardian is not a reliable source?


No, that is the Daily Mail. The Mail is terrible. The Guardian is excellent.

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2017 18:03:23
Godammit -- Now the FF is starting a fight with Canada.

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2017 18:26:57
Quote by Raine:
Godammit -- Now the FF is starting a fight with Canada.



Not fair about milk! Gotta protect milk! Jobs!



Comment by TriSec on 04/20/2017 19:05:15
Hi, all. I'm on the clock, sitting in the sun by the harbor, waiting for my ride back to base. This is the way to work.

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2017 19:07:44
Quote by TriSec:
Hi, all. I'm on the clock, sitting in the sun by the harbor, waiting for my ride back to base. This is the way to work.


At this very moment, I hate you. But, yeah that sounds great.