back to article Probe launched after mischiefmaker invades US spyboss's Verizon broadband account

An investigation is underway after someone managed to infiltrate webmail and home broadband accounts belonging to the family of US spymaster James Clapper. It's believed a hacker got hold of the surveillance chief's personal phone number, delved into his wife's Yahoo! mail inbox, and gained control of the couple's Verizon FiOS …

  1. Mark 85

    Breaking into either of those two gentlemen's account takes some real guts or real stupidity. It's not like they won't sort it out. Or maybe they'll just blame the Norks....

    1. Lysenko

      If there was any justice in the world the fact that Mr. Brennan is a member of "A$$holes Online" would be the big news here.

    2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      A bit of both, maybe? Too stupid to be scared...

    3. elDog

      You know, there's no love between the 29+ US intelligence agencies

      I wouldn't put it past some of the groups to be infiltrating the others, even the big cheese.

      Of course the empire-building and dominance is enhanced by trotting out the others' family jewels.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Trollface

    How do you like...

    Them apples ?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Big Brother

    Digital karma!!

    Clapper seemed so nonchalant about overseeing the collecting of other people's communications, and now it has happened to him!! Couldn't happen to a nicer guy...

  4. Bbbbit
    Facepalm

    Storm in a teacup

    I do not know what all these US "Intelligence" bods are worried about; if they follow even the most standard procedure they will have no confidential work bobbins in their personal accounts will they? As for their personal stuff being plundered if they have nothing to hide then they having nothing to fear, right? Maybe they should give Plusnet or TalkTalk a shot?

    1. Medixstiff

      Re: Storm in a teacup

      Except as the story stated. sensitive documents were found in the CIA Directors personal AOL account.

      "The hacker appears to be the same person who broke into CIA director John Brennan's AOL account in October. Sensitive documents were revealed by the miscreant, which led to another investigation."

      I doubt very much AOL, Verizon etc. have a note against a person's private email account saying "Be careful of phone calls about this account, as he's the CIA/NSA/FBI director so be more vigilant about proving their identity".

      It should be made law that if a director of an Intelligence agency is found to have sent themselves sensitive documents to unsecured email accounts. they are sacked immediately and brought up on criminal charges, they should be setting an example.

      1. Dan Paul

        Re: Storm in a teacup

        There already IS a law that is supposed to prevent this type of behavior by ANY government employee.

        I believe they call it the Official Secrets Act and General David Petreaus was already sacked under it for having Top Secret classified documents outside the office. That law also covers using private UNSECURE email accounts to pass Top Secret information.

        Hillary Clinton clearly violated this law when she was Secretary of State and now the CIA director violated it.

        In fact, it appears that the entire Obama administration thinks they can violate the laws of the US with impunity.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Storm in a teacup

          If anyone managed to hack my public provider email account they will discover all my shopping habits and reading preferences etc. but what they won't find is anything to do with any of the work I do for a living (apart from the odd bit of contact information).

          This guy should be prosecuted, or at the very least booted out.

        2. Roo
          Windows

          Re: Storm in a teacup

          "There already IS a law that is supposed to prevent this type of behavior by ANY government employee."

          Strictly speaking laws don't prevent anything, the enforcement process is there to provide the punishment and deterrent, and that enforcement process is rarely employed to punish high-level functionaries like Clapper.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Intelligence"

    You keep using that word, I don't think it means what you think it means! ..

  6. 404

    Heh...

    Sucks, doesn't it?

    ;)

  7. Blank-Reg
    Trollface

    For some reason, I find this intensely hilarious! Poetic justice as they say. Are they sure they want to weaken encryption? Stuff like this will happen all the time. In fact, hats of all colours will be scrambling to force open the backdoor permanently which would probably be within a week of the backdoor being added and then the Claps e-mails will never be private again.

    "They don't like it up 'em!"

  8. VinceH
  9. AbelSoul
    Trollface

    Has anyone alerted Alanis Morissette?

    1. FredBloggs61

      Has anyone alerted Alanis Morissette?

      Now that's ironic

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