Posted on 09/18/2008 10:55:25 AM PDT by Pinkbell
It's not a great idea to run a government using Yahoo! e-mail accounts.
Gov. Sarah Palin's e-mail habit of using a private account to communicate with aides echos the worst practices of the Bush administration, says one expert.
That's the word from experts, anyway, reacting to news that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's Yahoo! e-mail had been hacked earlier this week. McCain's vice-presidential pick apparently used the accounts to communicate with key aides about government business.
The practice is dangerous, said experts, and can run counter to laws ensuring government is open and accountable -- a tough point for Palin, who has made "open government" a catchphrase of her political identity.
By using non-governmental email systems, "Your information is out there available, beyond the official mechanisms there to protect it," said Amit Yoran, the nation's first cybersecurity chief. Yoran is now CEO of Netwitness Corp., a computer security firm for government and private entities.
"When she's communicating about government programs, that information is not being protected with the typical precautions the government has put in place in its own risk management process," said Yoran.
Moreover, a hacked account could be used to falsify communications, noted Yoran – a point proven by one of the hackers, who used Palin's account to send a message to one of her assistants.
Two Yahoo! email accounts belonging to Palin were hacked early Tuesday by a group calling itself 'Anonymous'. Screen shots of her inbox were posted online, as well as a screenshot showing an email of an apparently personal nature from a Palin appointee to the governor.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Am I in the twilight zone??
F* ABC..
Criminal==Victim, Victim==Criminal.
PS: the AP has flatly refused to help the FBI and Secret Service identify the hackers/forwarders.
So, they criticize McCain because he can’t use computers, and they criticize Palin because she can...
I think I get it now!
When ABC goes to a new low you say to yourself, “this is the losest.” Then they come out with something like this.
Truly incredible and why there is a Dinosaur Media Alert on FR.
I wonder how Mr Anonymous would act if his account was hacked!!
Of course. The AP is in the tank for Obama. They don’t want to do anything that could help the McCain/Palin campaign.
Is it as bad as letting government employees run around with unsecured laptops & ScanDisk Drives loaded with sensitive information? That is done everyday & laptops are lost/compromised everyday.
I agree that government officials should use official email accounts that are archived, but I would be surprised if this goal is anywhere close to being achieved.
By using non-governmental email systems, "Your information is out there available, beyond the official mechanisms there to protect it,"
These two sentences contradict each other, don't they?
Palin cannot use official State of Alaska email accounts or computers for personal or Vice-Presidential campaign purposes. If she did it would violate the State’s regulations. So she has to have a private email account for those purposes.
As the hacking showed, there was no significant Alaska State business being conducted using the personal accounts.
So even her having an e-mail account is Bush’s fault?
I love it when the press, who aren't knowledgeable about anything, try to report on things they don't understand. "Anonymous" is exactly what it means. If a board or site doesn't require you to post a handle, or your name, then you are "Anonymous." I'm a proud member of this group at a lot of sites.
Prove she did this you spineless hack.
Surreal
This is disgusting, a leftist commits an illegal act and it isn’t their faul, nope it is the victims. Sick of dirtbag lefties.
WTF? What does this have to do with the Bush administration?...(besides everything that ever happens being Bush's fault).
Criminal==Victim, Victim==Criminal.
for ABC I think this is more accurate
Republican==Criminal, Victim==Democrat
Just waiting for the economic downturn to hit the media in the pocketbook. I’m trying to stay away from all television media except Fox News. Hit them directly where they live — the ratings.
Can't wait for these hackers to get caught and ID'd. I want names and party affiliation.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.