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Bogus Harvard e-mail address used in Russian malware exploit
By adamg on Mon, 12/19/2016 - 8:21am
The Crimson reports hackers apparently connected to the Russian government put some malware in a hacked up copy of a Kennedy School paper on the problems with American elections, then sent it out to addresses at American think tanks and non-profit groups, in the hopes people would open up the alleged document and infect their computers.
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Comments
Only the beginning
Things are going to get really interesting on a national level once Trump is fully in office. While I don't think he (or any POTUS) can do to much damage with the checks and balances we have in place, there's a real concern that R's will lead the country into the abyss. Not all republicans are grossly misinformed, but all grossly misinformed people are republicans.
What does this have to do
What does this have to do with the original post?
Russian intereference
Has everything to do with this post and our national discourse
Oh boy....
I missed the Russian interference part, but maybe I'm not caught up just yet.
Is this the story that says intelligence agencies have secret clues that they refuse to disclose which points to the Russians interfering? Zero actual evidence, except for their word, right?
If there is more than that out there, then my apologies.
I know plenty of grossly misinformed Democrats
and self identified 'progressives'. I also know misinformed Republicans. Do you think people can only identify with one particular political party? Ever hear of INDEPENDENTS or UNENROLLED?
Some people take politics, religion, ideologies, way too seriously. They need to get a life. Ultimately, you and you alone are by far the greatest predictor of what your present and future life will be, not a president, senator, governor, mayor, etc.
Please...
I understand having fervor for your party, but this sort of attitude is why a person such as Trump could be elected. There are many millions of people in this country who are sick and tired of being talked down to by Democrats who believe nobody in their own party is ever grossly misinformed.
I didn't vote for Trump, but I can certainly understand why some folks did.
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
But really...
... could you have ever imagined "conservatives" voting en masse for for a candidate who is an unabashed fan of a former KGB boss, and who seems ready and willing to blow off our relationships with our (up to now) closest allies?
I'm a registered Independent
I'm fiscally conservative, socially liberal. That said, I would certainly vote for a republican if I thought they were the best candidate. Unfortunately it's been awhile on the national level since a strong republican ran. Indeed I probably would've voted for Mitt this cycle if it were him vs Clinton. (I thought Obama was a much stronger candidate than him in '12).
All that said, I haven't seen or read any strong positions or ideologies from that party that aren't regressive in nature. Van Jones was right when he called this election a white-lash, which in some ways I understand. The fly-over states are dismissed and forgotten mostly, and let's be honest, they never excepted Obama as THEIR president. So just like there was a push to rid the country of the stench that was the Bush presidency, which Obama rode into the White House. There was in equal push to 'make America great again' which was just code for give it back to the white people.
The voting masses of republicans further demonstrated their un-informedness by electing a billionaire who doesn't, never has, and never will, give two shhh's about them. He's chosen other billionaires and millionaires to lead various agencies, and he outright dared them NOT to vote for him by saying he could shoot someone in the middle of 5th Ave and not lose any votes. I recognize the danger in saying most dumb people vote republican but if the shoe fits..
"Flyover states"
"let's be honest they never accepted Obama as THEIR president"
You seem to be forgetting the millions of voters in these states who voted FOR Obama in '08 and 12, and the substantial numbers who voted for someone other than Trump this year.. The real concern about states like Michigan are the alarming numbers of voters, especially non-white, who sat out this election. My progressive family and friends living in red or purple states would probably rather be "forgotten" than dismissed as non- thinking racists based on where they live. I recognize the danger in saying most closed-minded elitists live on the coasts, but if the shoe fits.....
To steal a phrase I used earlier
Not all republicans are racist, but all racists are republicans. There are plenty of reasons to oppose any president, so I would never argue that a white person who doesn't support Obama is a racist. But there were certainly those who said he would never be their president, and there were even more who had a problem with everything he did. Not to mention the birther issue that brought Trump to the national political scene, and was just addressed AGAIN by that sheriff in AZ.
Also I would argue the Obama campaign was the best run campaign I've ever seen, granted I'm not that old. The mythical blue wall was not made up of people who just so happened to love the democrat on the ticket, but people who were mobilized and energized because he was a minority, and as I said before they were that fed up with Bush. The older white population may be in decline percentage-wise, but they are by far the folks most likely to vote. Hillary, who oh by the way had the most votes, and highest winning margin of any loser ever, didn't lose because more people supported Trump. She lost because the electoral college system needs to be overhauled. People are moving to the coasts, and moving out of those fly over states. Republicans can ride that wave to every presidency.
Lastly I would add voter turn out wasn't the problem this cycle, again, Hillary won more votes than any person in history not named Obama. The fact is it's hard for any party to win an election after an incumbent has served two terms. Hillary was certainly a flawed candidate and if it weren't for super delegates, I'm not sure she would've beat Bernie.
I would also add, republicans, in fact most of us continue to vote against our own best interests. Those manufacturing jobs are never coming back. The push to increase minimum wage will only increase these companies push to automate everything. The system is broken and I won't pretend to know the answers. But this go 'round, republicans need to hold this loss and take the blame for whatever happens over the next four years.
Closed-minded?
I don't think so.
The problem that many in the flyover states have with "Coastal Elites" is that we are far from closed minded. Their problem is that we are very open minded: receptive to rational ideas and smart enough to prove that it makes us healthier, smarter, and much better off as a whole.
That's why we have a decent standard of living. That's why we were the first to realize that our laws were not incompatible with all people being allowed to marry the adult of their choice. That's why we are rich and have good jobs and are well educated.
That's why we know that Trump is full of it and "Make America Great Again" would make PT Barnum blush - because we can do math and we know HOW to think critically.
Wow
1) Have you ever spent any time in a state that does not border an ocean? Lots of healthy, smart and better off people who maintain a decent standard of living, if you know where to look. Just as here in MA we find lots of unhealthy, unsmart and close-minded people if you know where to look. (Residents of the Cape who protested Gov Patrick's plan to accept undocumented immigrants from other states come to mind...)
2)"The first to realize that our laws were not incompatible with all people being allowed to marry the adult of their choice." Yes, the judges on the MA supreme court were quite enlightened in this respect. California voters, not so much.
3) Again, plenty of mathematically gifted, critical thinkers in other parts of the country. Knowing that Trump is full of it hardly makes anyone here special.
"all" is too sweeping, obviously..
.. but there are plenty of reputable news outlets reporting things like the following (from the Washington Post)
So it appears fake news is more of a problem for the right wing crowd. I don't mind an exchange with someone on the opposite end of the spectrum (from my left-leaning self, if that's not obvious) if we're discussing facts, in fact, I've even shifted my thinking on some issues based on these discussions. But when you're speaking with someone inclined to latch onto these outrageous stories, it can be difficult not to let some condescension bleed through. The whole situation is just so frustrating.
The solution to the problem
The solution to the problem is for Harvard to tune the SPF/DKIM/DMARC settings in their email infrastructure. That's all there is to it.
RTFA
Read the article. That isn't the issue.
TFA says the hackers "sent it
TFA says the hackers "sent it to recipients under a fake email address that appeared to be from Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences."
Stricter SPF/DMARC would make those emails less deliverable. How is that not the issue?
Babson students at Wellesley
Not defending Trump or fake news.
But what do we call people who tried, convicted and hung the Babson kids for crimes far beyond what they actually did?
You make an assumption here
You are assuming what the Babson administration wanted to believe or actually heard is what actually happened.
You call them "professor"
You call them "professor"
Where online do folks watch Electors cast their votes?
Where online do folks watch Electors of the Electoral College cast their votes for each state?...
Russian?
I've heard "Russian" is just code for a guy in New Jersey, and/or a 400 pound guy in bed.
All the political commentary
All the political commentary already made itt notwithstanding, Harvard's claims seem a bit hyperbolic. Phishing and malware are not the same thing - not even close. Are we supposed to believe Harvard is at a technical disadvantage somehow or are they just opportunistically jumping on the Russian hacker bandwagon ?
Phishing - send a spoof email
Phishing - send a spoof email
Malware - what is attached to your spoofed email
The email looks like it came from a harvard address and has an attachment that is a paper/something that was published by someone at harvard. Embed malware in the document.
Exactly like I said: phishing
Exactly like I said: phishing and malware are not the same thing. They are totally disparate in their intent and execution and the means of defense against them. If you hang your stocking by the hearth, you don't also booby-trap the chimney. Harvard is either mixed up or they are grandstanding.