Ex-US State Dept. Worker Pleads Guilty To Extensive Sextortion Case (networkworld.com) 60
coondoggie writes: The former U.S. Department of State man accused of hacking into hundreds of victims' e-mail and social media accounts, stealing thousands of sexually explicit photographs, and threatening at least 75 victims that he would post those photos and other personal information unless they agreed to his demands has entered a guilty plea to the nefarious attacks. Michael C. Ford, 36, of Atlanta, was indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on Aug. 18, 2015, with nine counts of cyberstalking, seven counts of computer hacking to extort and one count of wire fraud.
Let me guess ... (Score:4, Funny)
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You paranoid black and white thinkers are very entertaining.
That's racist! :^)
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Everybody is equally entertaining
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If this were a conservative administration, they would be blaming the POTUS.
Well thank goodness we don't have a conservative administration and the president isn't unreasonably blamed for anything!!!!
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... did he do all of this from a server in his house?
From TFA:
"The majority of Ford’s phishing, hacking and cyberstalking activities were conducted from his computer at the U.S. Embassy."
nEWS fOR nERDS? (Score:2)
Stuff that matters, maybe. But news for nerds? It this TMZ now?
Summon the warrantless bulk collection apologists. (Score:5, Insightful)
A very tame example of why we shouldn't be allowing warrantless bulk data collection - the obvious better examples are those of journalists assassinated - such as Michael Hastings.
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Come on, everyone knows to be a govt. employee you have to have sworn never to do illegal drugs, and to instead medicate bad feelings with pills that make you unable to have feelings. Potheads and hippies are the real plague.
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*sheer
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Let's find out [lmgtfy.com]
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Re:Summon the warrantless bulk collection apologis (Score:5, Interesting)
A very tame example of why we shouldn't be allowing warrantless bulk data collection - the obvious better examples are those of journalists assassinated - such as Michael Hastings.
I'm not defending this guy in any way, but if you read the article, it doesn't appear he used data from any government bulk data collection program. In fact, I don't think he used any special access he might have had working in the State Department. He just happened to be employed there. That doesn't make what he did okay, and it doesn't make government warrantless data collection okay, but one doesn't really follow from the other in this case at all.
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If this were a conservative administration, they would be blaming the POTUS.
It would be interesting to see a breakdown of those blackmailed Liberal vs Conservative.
the current administration does have a track record of looking the other way when conservatives are singled out.
Is this you? Are you a cow or an apping app apper?
Troubling, but it still looks like car crash+fire to me.
Why do your employers try? I'd rather have the cow guy. At least he's occasionally good for a laugh.
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A very tame example of why we shouldn't be allowing warrantless bulk data collection - the obvious better examples are those of journalists assassinated - such as Michael Hastings.
There is no discussion of bulk data collection and based on what he was doing I think the more likely case is that one or more of the girls called the police who brought in the FBI and stung him. No bulk data collection required.
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Then again, she really got around.
http://www.ancient.eu/venus/ [ancient.eu]
He did this from his embassy computer (Score:2)
Regular occurrence (Score:2)
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HEY HEY HEY now ... don't go pointing out how completely clueless someone is being by showing how they could have basically no relationship with each other. How dare you fuck up his pushing of his own retardly formed political agenda with facts or reality. Arsehole.
When will people learn? (Score:1)
One of the constants in human history is that people can and will abuse any power they get - and government employees who have the power of government behind them will abuse the power over the citizens with even more vigor. This is why placing too much power in the hands of government is ALWAYS bad.
How's all that government spying on the citizens working out? The government has clearly been vacuuming-up data on all the people "to keep us safe", but it did not stop the Boston Bombing nor the shootout at the
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Nearly every major airport in the US has had incidents of TSA employees abusing their ability to rifle through checked bags in order to steal valuables from the flying public.
Eh? There are some major airports that don't utilize TSA?
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There is simply some percent of the human race that cannot be trusted with power over other people
Don't get too sanctimonious, bud. That figure is 100%.
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The guy sent out phishing emails using the old "Hi I work for email provider X and your email account has been marked for deletion. Please respond with your password to prevent deletion." He then accessed the accounts of people who fell for it (the article refers to this as "hacking"), searched for emails with naughty pics and identifying info, then extorted them for more naughty pic
Very painful new word (Score:2)
Oh come ON, Slashdot (Score:1)
What has happened to Slashdot? Do I really have to be the first one to say it, this far into the discussion?
PICS or it didn't happen!
Pics (Score:2)
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I completely Disagree. The outcome of a trial is based on a jury, which is rarely a rational group of folks. People accept plea deals to avoid life-crushing penalties if they lose at trial. And don't tell me you really believe everyone convicted by a jury is actually guilty.
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And why would ANYBODY be so stupid to admit to any crime?
You generally get a lighter sentence.
If you know you're guilty (and more to the point know you're going to be found guilty in a trial) for most non-capital crimes it's sensible to bite the bullet and plead guilty.
One of the horrible things about innocent people who are found guilty is that they get longer prison sentences and often no parole when they won't show remorse for a crime they didn't commit.
I will never understand (Score:2)
I will never understand why so many people seem to have email accounts that are full of naked pictures of themselves.