The Federal Bureau of Investigation can, in certain circumstances, impersonate journalists in the course of undercover work, according to a report released this month by the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General. While somewhat controversial, the finding is not unexpected, coming at a time of increasing use of fake Internet personas by government authorities … Continue reading Impersonation of journalists added to FBI’s trolling tool kit
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Recent polls showing disproportionate active duty military support for Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson versus that among the overall population may represent more than simple dissatisfaction with this year's regrettable major party candidates. Signs increasingly point to a U.S. military that is broadly dissatisfied with the direction of the country, along with its politicians' decisions … Continue reading Military polls show dissatisfaction with U.S. politics beyond election
Following news of hacks of the Democratic National Committee, the Clinton campaign, and state election boards in Illinois and Arizona, federal officials in the past week have offered conflicting statements regarding the possibility that hackers, possibly sponsored by a foreign government, could influence the upcoming presidential election. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson … Continue reading Officials offer conflicting statements on election hacking vulnerability
In the wake of last month's revelations of favoritism towards Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders within the Democratic National Committee, which led to the resignation of former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, paranoia has been percolating. On August 12, the Washington Post featured two articles about conspiracy theories, one by Post "global opinions" columnist Josh … Continue reading DNC Leaks Lead to Dueling Conspiracy Theories
In an opinion piece in the Washington Post yesterday, columnist Josh Rogin revealed what he said was potentially a "bad deal" that the Obama administration is pitching to Russia about increased cooperation in Syria. But it's hard to know what to make of the news, which the Russians won't comment on, and which comes amidst … Continue reading Russia and the US in Syria: Deals, disinfo and deception
Although encrypted data has reportedly not yet posed a problem for investigators in the Orlando killing spree case, that didn't stop early media speculation that the investigation could reignite high-profile battles over data security. Earlier this year, Apple and the Federal Bureau of Investigation got into a fight over security features on a phone related to the … Continue reading Vulnerabilities Revealed Amidst Digital ‘Arms Race’
Three years after the Boston Marathon bombing, previously undisclosed documents continue to emerge that challenge official explanations of circumstances surrounding the terrorist attack, specifically relating to actions of the FBI. In the aftermath of the bombing, it was widely reported that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older of the two brothers sought in connection with the attack who … Continue reading New Documents Raise More Boston Bombing Questions
As the FBI pushes for greater remote hacking powers and greater secrecy surrounding its massive biometrics database, ongoing cyber attacks raise concerns that, even as federal law enforcement hopes to increase its offensive capabilities, government agencies have not focused nearly enough on cyber defense. With the presidential election dominating the news cycle, cyber security … Continue reading Feds Eager to Collect Data Amid Hacking Revelations