The growing scandal surrounding Hillary Clinton’s use of an unsecured server now involves a little known Denver company that she used for the system. Clinton has repeatedly dismissed concerns about her decision not to use the secure State Department system by saying that she had her own security team and that the server was always protected. Now there is a media report that Clinton actually used a small company with Democratic party ties in Denver which reportedly kept its server in a bathroom closet in a loft apartment. The report raises again questions of the security used for the system while there are also questions being raised about Clinton lawyers lacking clearances to deal with possibly classified material in deleting thousands of messages and holding copies of messages. There has not been a response printed to the story thus far and the position of the Clinton campaign (including challenging the accuracy of the story) is unknown at this time.
The company Platte River Networks is described as a “mom and pop” operation by former employees.
Founded in 2002 by entrepreneurs Treve Suazo, Brent Allshouse and Tom Welch, Platte River Networks operated out of a 1,858 square feet loft apartment in downtown Denver until earlier year. The building hardly sounds secure from foreign intelligence penetration.
These concerns arise with the disclosure of hundreds of emails flagged as possibly classified, including at least two at one of the highest levels.
This article–especially the title–reveals the ignorance of people writing about this. There’s not necessarily anything less secure about running servers out of a home closet. Some of my most trusted cybersecurity experts (in the private sector and in government) run extremely secure servers out of their condos. One benefit is that, assuming all the data is kept in that bathroom closet, you know where the data is–it’s nearby. With larger companies providing cloud services, you don’t even know what country(ies) the data is in.
A better question is whether the account holders had full access to create and destroy their data/emails on the server (or if their relationship was such that the proprietor would eradicate data and logs as instructed). If that’s the case, it’s possible that there were emails that we’ll never know about because even a forensic look at the server won’t reveal them (doubly true if the emails were all among accounts that existed only on that server). That’s the reason this might be sketchy. But note that we haven’t heard any allegations that Clinton’s emails were hacked or leaked–it may well be that this bathroom closet server was more secure than official state department web-facing email accounts were.
“it may well be that this bathroom closet server was more secure than official state department web-facing email accounts were.”
How true, how true. Except for any employee, client of visitor who happened to need to use the bathroom.
Sure, hacking often (usually) takes place remotely across the web. But is there a hacker anywhere who would not love to have physical access to the target machine? Who wouldn’t like to have access to the server console. Who wouldn’t love to have opportunity to load malware from a flash drive right on the server.
Further what evidence is there that the admins at this company had anything like the training or use anything like the standards used by the feds. After all critical agencies use standards and techniques developed by NSA – the best and the brightest cyber experts that this country has.
Is there anyone (aside from a Clinton die hard) who thinks any firm, business, corporation, consultant, or academic who can match the collective expertise of NSA? Because I don’t think so.
If anyone thinks a regional software house or consultant can match NSA expertise then why not explain your reasoning here. Tell us how it is that standards and techniques developed in the business sector some how escaped notice of NSA. Tell us why we should believe that to get the best cyber security we have to go outside the national intelligence/security apparatus. I would really like to know why that makes sense.
What we have is a situation that looks like it was designed to be hacked.
First remove the emails for federal control. Then put them on a private server. Then provide access to the email server through an admin server that 1) any joe off the street can walk up to and be alone with for many long minutes 2) is administered by business techs who use ‘who knows what’ security standards. Do they even bother to upgrade their server software – an amazing number of business server are not upgraded on a timely basis – if ever.
We ought to remember that breaching the admin server (ludicrously stored in a bathroom) either physically or through spear phishing/social engineering the techs would lead too root access to the Clinton mail server with all its classified information.
Annie,
A “wall”… I imagine Berlin.
Yet, Obama used to be the Socialist/Communist until Bernie started his run… The passing of the torch.
Come on and light that fire… Feel that Bern.
p.s.
Wasn’t it Reagan that is famously quoted for saying…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjWDrTXMgF8
… That was then. This is the land of “It’s not when we do,” now.
Max
If we were called North Mexico you might have a point about la pared but the border was settled after a war that we won, that predated your Swiss Army 14th am.
And there’s nothing stopping Mexicans from heading south, east or west or ordering from Amazon.
Or even floating the Amazon except maybe other nations oppressive and racist immigration policies.
Max
Illegals are under the jurisdiction of Mexico or whatever their country of origin might be.
Are you mixing your Natty Rights with your Natty Lights?
Annie
Kind of like this?
http://youtu.be/Tk7n5RmTIdU
Starting at 27:50, He starts speaking about illegal immigrants, he mentions Ferguson and Baltimore.SO…it was illegal immigrant gangs in Ferguson and Baltimore who are to blame? Who knew?
pin
The 14th Amendment makes it clear. Natural Rights… right?
Or, are you against Natural Rights too?
Max
There’s something I read today about the US code, and how children of diplomats born here or criminals, and one more category, are not considered citizens. So how can that be?
I guess the 14th am covers everything but babies who survive abortions.
Annie
Trump refused to do that interview with Megan Kelly… You know, bloody whatever’s.
As far as going Godwin, I know Max, but I’m truly shaken by the similarities. Rounding up millions of people in ‘ not so nice’ a way, the demonizing of millions of illegal immigrants. He even blamed the violence in Ferguson and Baltimore on illegal immigrants today at thar farce of a Town Hall. It was chilling to hear this kind of rhetoric.
Annie
Trump has you saying “illegal” so I guess he got a hook in you too.
And I don’t think he’s demonizing millions. Its more like the hundreds per day who rape, shoot, rob and drunkenly plow the road of US citizens. The ones who have no right to be here. So how much does that cost? Maybe you can take Max’s hint and call him Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Frankly, we should build the wall then do the Mariel Boatlift in reverse and drop that mierde over the wall with some canteens and beef jerky.
Annie
When the only real ‘Value’ is demeaning other target groups, especially minorities or disadvantaged people, know the only real value is in holding people back from becoming successful. Now, how can a Nation prosper when it begins on holding it’s own back? Now, when the so-called ‘opposition’ Party capitulates to demands of holding the People back, it no longer is a real ‘opposition’ Party but instead, a cooperative ‘good cop’ in the good cop/bad cop routine. And their object of this beat down? The American People.
Max-1 said: “Well, they stopped listening to the constituents and instead started to listen to money.
Ya know, money = speech. And a whole lotta money speaks louder than any one of us People.”
Wealthy, well-connected individuals in politics now steer the direction of the country, regardless of – or even against – the will of the majority of voters. America’s political system has transformed from a democracy into an oligarchy, where power is wielded by wealthy elites. From: “Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens” Martin Gilens, Benjamin Page in Perspectives on Politics, 2014.
“The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don’t. . . . You have owners.” —George Carlin
Annie
I prefer to avoid going Goodwin. It allows others to use that antiquated history against you. See pin’s response for reference. This is why going Goodwin is an instant loosing position. And seriously, has Trump appointed himself Chancellor of the GOP yet? When that happens, expect Priebus to cry while stepping aside…
Max,
I think the wheels have come off the Family Values Party.
http://youtu.be/hgnowxSyiYE
Annie
“To think they thought trans people were child molesters.”
= = =
They call it ‘TRADITIONAL FAMILY VALUES’ nowadays…
He loves them… He’s sure that he’ll win the Latino vote.
Yep, sending the American born kids back with their moms and pops is a sure fire win… NOT!
And the only way he can do that is if the GOP repeals the 14th Amendment. Then, that other bill would hold ground if, say, a florist refused to make a bouquet for a mixed race couple, too! EQUALITY or BUST!
Trump goes for bust… Like his casinos.
Max
Minors have a lot of their rights curtailed.
If an illegal wants their minor child to live in the US while they go wait in line back in the motherland they can let a gay couple foster their chico hasta diez y ocho. Or they can take them along.
Bruce Lee was born in America but lived in Hong Kong until he was 18 and moved back and he turned out pretty good.
If we expect a white dentist to respect a country’s laws and game park borders I think everyone can get behind Trump.
http://cdn1.theodysseyonline.com/files/2015/07/27/635735556834541020827702019_donald-trump-caterpillar.jpg%3Fw=600
We better be careful Max, when Trump is dictator we may be shot at the Wall for these photos.
Annie,
And I liken his hair to a lot of things…
http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/trump-vs-corn-who-wore-it-better-meme.jpg
p.s.
Prairie Rose,
AM is in the news today because their user data base was hacked and released online…
Expect more bombshells.
Prairie Rose
Ashley Maddison requires users to register and be18+…
… Then users fill out a description form about what kind of sex and partner said user desires.
Lastly, the site caters to discrete consensual encounters between married people…
… Think of it as a ‘High Class’ hook-up site for quasi-monogamously married types.
Trump today likened the wall at the border to the Great Wall of China and said it should be called the Trump Wall. He just ignores the fact that rounding up millions of people, building the Trump Wall would cost how many billions of dollars. The darker aspect of Trump was revealed today and I suspect that is just the tip of the iceberg.