Secret Service slams 'outlandish' reports of Mar-a-Lago examination tactics

The Hill ^ | 04/09/19 | Michael Burke

[yesthatjallen]

The Secret Service on Tuesday slammed "outlandish" suggestions that its agents are "incompetent to carry out forensic examinations" following the arrest of a Chinese national who is accused of trying to enter President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club with a thumb drive containing malware.

“Assertions that U.S. Secret Service agents are incompetent to carry out forensic examinations on digital media (ie thumbdrives, laptops, cellphones, etc.) is outlandish and not rooted in fact," a Secret Service spokesperson said in a released statement.

The spokesperson added that the agency's Electronic Crimes Special Agent Program (ECSAP) "is internationally recognized" said there are special agents who "receive extensive training in computer forensics and undergo a rigorous certification process."

"Forensic examinations conducted by these personnel are done in accordance with U.S. Secret Service standard operating policies and procedures. Secret Service forensic examinations are conducted on standalone computers, equipped with specialized forensic software, which are not connected to Secret Service networks," the spokesperson said.

Yujing Zhang, the Chinese national, was arrested last week after attempting to enter a Mar-a-Lago pool with the thumb drive. The arrest has sparked concerns about security at the Florida property where the president often spends weekends when away from Washington.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday called on outgoing Secret Service Director Randolph Alles to testify about possible security vulnerabilities at the resort.

“The outgoing Secret Service director must testify before Congress as soon as possible about the potential security vulnerabilities at Mar-a-Lago involving a Chinese national arrested with malware, and other counterintelligence and national security threats," Schumer said in a statement.

[yesthatjallen]

There was an article (Fake News?) that a Secret Service agent inserted the Chinese womans' thumb drive into his own computer and it started downloading oddly.

When I read it, I thought it sounded ridiculous. My first thought was someone was planting a fake news story to make Trump and his Secret Service detail at Mar-a-Lago appear to be incompetent.

[nascarnation]

Given that the Sec Serv was run for 8 years by Caliph Baraq via Janet Icompitano and Jeh Johnson, nothing would surprise me.

[the_Watchman]

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday called on outgoing Secret Service Director Randolph Alles to testify about possible security vulnerabilities at the resort.

Perhaps Chuck wants to leak the vulnerabilities?! I wouldn't tell him a thing. Better yet, it might be a good time to set a trap; e.g., leaving a basement window unlocked which feeds directly into a locked cell. Make it like a lobster trap.

[Mark]

Them there 12 to 16 year olds are computer wizards. Nothing they can’t do.

[edwinland]

Well somebody is lying. The Miami Herald reported as follows:

Secret Service agent Samuel Ivanovich, who interviewed Zhang on the day of her arrest, testified at the hearing. He stated that when another agent put Zhang’s thumb drive into his computer, it immediately began to install files, a “very out-of-the-ordinary” event that he had never seen happen before during this kind of analysis. The agent had to immediately stop the analysis to halt any further corruption of his computer, Ivanovich testified. The analysis is ongoing but still inconclusive, he said.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article228963409.html

This was a contemporaneous report of a public hearing so I doubt that they just made it up, though they could have edited his exact words to make it sound worse than it was.

However if the sense conveyed in the article is accurate, it does not sound like the work of a "special agent who received extensive training in computer forensics" and who underwent "a rigorous certification process" in an "internationally recognized" "Electronic Crimes Special Agent Program (ECSAP)"

[rockinqsranch]

????? Seems to me a bunch of Democrat noise, and arm flailing to try to create another negative illusion they can tie to the Trump Administration.

[colorado tanker]

Better call Abbie at NCIS. Oh, wait, she doesn’t work there anymore . . .

[max americana]

“Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday called on outgoing Secret Service Director Randolph Alles to testify about possible security vulnerabilities at the resort.”

****

I’m just asking....what does that idiot have to gain about security vulnerabilities at the property of the one man he hates the most on this planet?

[SpaceBar]

Reports of our incompetence are exaggerated.

[healy61]

You will recall there was a woman SS who said publicly that she would not take a bullet for the President. If she is still an agent, I wonder about the integrity of the SS. A chain is no stronger that its weakest link. She was the weakest link.

[Sgt_Schultze]

What kind of government issued computer executes autorun commands on removable media?

[yesthatjallen]

Yes, that's the article.

It sounded fishy; a fake story to make Trumps' Secret Service look bad and question security at MaL.

I can't image a secret service agent would be dumb enough to plug a flash drive into his computer. I suspect the average computer user knows enough not to do such a thing.

install files, a “very out-of-the-ordinary” - Strange computer terminology.

The original story seems odd but who knows.

[yesthatjallen]

My first thought when reading the original article was that it sounded like someone was planting a fake story.

[Tucker39]

Any so-called security specialist who would insert an unknown chinese thumb drive into his computer, is no brighter than a lunkhead who looks down the bore of a handgun while checking whether the gun is loaded!

[PA Engineer]

Secret Service spokesperson

I'm always amazed at the "Hill's" resources. Their sources must come from a very, very large family named "NO NAME."

Date, place, name, position?

No where to be found. PDF of released statement? It's a mystery.

[daniel1212]

event that he had never seen happen before during this kind of analysis.

This was a contemporaneous report of a public hearing so I doubt that they just made it up, though they could have edited his exact words to make it sound worse than it was. However if the sense conveyed in the article is accurate, it does not sound like the work of a "special agent who received extensive training in computer forensics" and who underwent "a rigorous certification process" in an "internationally recognized" "Electronic Crimes Special Agent Program (ECSAP)

Actually it was evidently a purposeful "analysis," with a laptop that likely was designed for this and was quickly used to obtain evidence of malicious behavior. And i am sure they know how to scan, analyze and remove the infection, and further testing would likely allow the USB drive to fully install what it has, for complete analysis.

However, budget cuts have resulted in only a few of the most advanced models:

[Rembrandt]

“However if the sense conveyed in the article is accurate, it does not sound like the work of a “special agent who received extensive training in computer forensics” and who underwent “a rigorous certification process” in an “internationally recognized” “Electronic Crimes Special Agent Program (ECSAP)”’

You really shouldn’t get into things that you don’t understand. In all likelihood, that thumb drive is now at Fort Meade and is being decrypted. The results will not be shared with you and Edwinland can continue on its blind path to oblivion.

[edwinland]

I hope you are right. Are you surmising this from the Miami Herald report or there’s some additional reporting that you have seen?

[yesthatjallen]

True, but in this case they are debunking the original 'narrative' (planted fake news?) that an agent downloaded the flash drive.

So which story is true? Who do we believe?

[edwinland]

I’m interested in this story, and judging by the posts and the comments, so are many other freezers.

As you have additional information about the testimony beyond what was reported (factually or inaccurately I don’t know, as I said in my comment) by the Miami Herald, or you have additional knowledge of the working of the secret service beyond what has been reported so far, please do share!

As Ross Perot would say “Ahm all ears!”