#FakeNews: WaPo Forced to Correct Its Russian Hacking Story Inaccurate report claimed breach

[Brian4Liberty]

WaPo Forced to Correct Its Russian Hacking Story (http://www.lifezette.com/polizette/wapo-forced-correct-russian-hacking-story/)
Inaccurate report claimed breach of U.S. electric grid in Vermont
by Kathryn Blackhurst | 02 Jan 2017


The Washington Post issued a correction this weekend to a story it published Friday. The story inaccurately stated that Russian hackers successfully infiltrated the U.S. electric grid at a utility company in Vermont.

The Post published its initial story, written by Juliet Eilperin and Adam Entous, one day after President Obama slapped Russia with sanctions and expelled 35 of the country’s officials from the United States. Obama’s sanctions were in response to reports that Russia sought to actively meddle in the outcome of 2016 presidential election to support Republican Donald Trump’s candidacy over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s.

The Post’s original story, however, jumped to a conclusion — and claimed Russian hackers had managed to successfully penetrate the U.S. electric grid in a Burlington Electric Department computer.
...
But as rumors swirled that the Russians had hacked the U.S. electric grid successfully, the company issued another statement Saturday with further clarifications.

"It's unfortunate that an official or officials improperly shared inaccurate information with one media outlet, leading to multiple inaccurate reports around the country," the Burlington Electric Department's statement read. "At Burlington Electric, where we take great pride in conveying timely and accurate information, we want our community to know that there is no indication that either our electric grid or customer information has been compromised. Media reports stating that Burlington Electric was hacked or that the electric grid was breached are false."
...
More: http://www.lifezette.com/polizette/wapo-forced-correct-russian-hacking-story/

[AZJoe]

Glenn Greenwald comments:
https://theintercept.com/2016/12/31/russia-hysteria-infects-washpost-again-false-story-about-hacking-u-s-electric-grid/

"The first sentence of the article directly linked this cyberattack to alleged Russian hacking of the email accounts of the DNC and John Podesta … The article went on and on in that vein, with all the standard tactics used by the U.S. media for such stories: quoting anonymous national security officials, reviewing past acts of Russian “treachery”, and drawing the scariest possible conclusions …

The media reactions … were exactly what one would expect: hysterical, alarmist proclamations of Putin’s menacing evil … predictably and very rapidly infected other large media outlets. …

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM here? It did not happen. There was no “penetration of the U.S. electricity grid.” … the Post did not even bother to contact the company before running its wildly sensationalistic claims, so Burlington Electric had to issue its own statement to the Burlington Free Press, which debunked the Post’s central claim (emphasis in original): “We detected the malware in a single Burlington Electric Department laptop NOT connected to our organization’s grid systems.” …

the Post rushed to fix its embarrassment, beginning by dramatically changing its headline: … The headline is still absurd: They have no idea that this malware was placed by a “Russian operation” … Moreover, nobody knows when this malware was put on this laptop, how, or by whom. …

THIS MATTERS NOT only because one of the nation’s major newspapers once again published a wildly misleading, fearmongering story about Russia. It matters even more because it reflects the deeply irrational and ever-spiraling fever that is being cultivated in U.S. political discourse and culture about the threat posed by Moscow. …

this kind of blatantly irresponsible and sensationalist tabloid behavior — which tracks what they did when promoting that grotesque PropOrNot blacklist of U.S. news outlets accused of being Kremlin tools — is a byproduct of the Anything Goes mentality that now shapes mainstream discussion of Russia, Putin …

The level of groupthink, fearmongering, coercive peer pressure, and über-nationalism has not been seen since the halcyon days of 2002 and 2003. Indeed, the very same people who back then smeared anyone questioning official claims as Saddam sympathizers or stooges and left-wing un-American loons are back for their sequel, accusing anyone who expresses any skepticism toward claims about Russia of being Putin sympathizers and Kremlin operatives and stooges. …

we have seen over and over that any time there is a new Prime Foreign Villain consecrated — now Putin — U.S. media figures lead the campaign. As a result, any denunciation or accusation toward Trump or Russia, no matter how divorced from reason or devoid of facts, generates instant praise, while any questioning of it prompts instant peer-group denunciation, or worse. …

the effect is a constant ratcheting up of tensions between two nuclear-armed powers whose nuclear systems are still on hair-trigger alert and capable of catastrophic responses based on misunderstanding and misperception. Democrats and their media allies are rightly alarmed about the potential dangers of Trump’s bellicose posture toward China, but remarkably and recklessly indifferent to the dangers of what they themselves are doing here."

[Brian4Liberty]

814598414419787776
https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/814598414419787776

[TheTexan]

The headline is still absurd: They have no idea that this malware was placed by a “Russian operation” … Moreover, nobody knows when this malware was put on this laptop, how, or by whom. …

We know its Russia because that's the only country that has hackers

Source: James Bond movies and also 24

[AZJoe]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK-82Tn_auk

[Jamesiv1]

814598414419787776
https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/814598414419787776
whoa. Great tweet by Massie.

[Son_of_Liberty90]

The level of groupthink, fearmongering, coercive peer pressure, and über-nationalism has not been seen since the halcyon days of 2002 and 2003. Indeed, the very same people who back then smeared anyone questioning official claims as Saddam sympathizers or stooges and left-wing un-American loons are back for their sequel, accusing anyone who expresses any skepticism toward claims about Russia of being Putin sympathizers and Kremlin operatives and stooges. …

we have seen over and over that any time there is a new Prime Foreign Villain consecrated — now Putin — U.S. media figures lead the campaign. As a result, any denunciation or accusation toward Trump or Russia, no matter how divorced from reason or devoid of facts, generates instant praise, while any questioning of it prompts instant peer-group denunciation, or worse. …

the effect is a constant ratcheting up of tensions between two nuclear-armed powers whose nuclear systems are still on hair-trigger alert and capable of catastrophic responses based on misunderstanding and misperception. Democrats and their media allies are rightly alarmed about the potential dangers of Trump’s bellicose posture toward China, but remarkably and recklessly indifferent to the dangers of what they themselves are doing here."

QFT

[Natural Citizen]

WaPo Forced to Correct Its Russian Hacking Story (http://www.lifezette.com/polizette/wapo-forced-correct-russian-hacking-story/)
Inaccurate report claimed breach of U.S. electric grid in Vermont
by Kathryn Blackhurst | 02 Jan 2017


I haven't been much interested in news reporting over the last year or so but I do want to touch on this. Grid "vandalism" has been happening for a while. Especially over the last couple of years. I did post on it at one point because there were some things going on in terms of digital trading, and foreign and domestic financial clearing (also electronic).

Anyway. This kind of thing should not be disregarded entirely. If at all. In fact, I think it's really important to pay attention whenever it's brought up in any way.

For example, there was that attack on the Silicon Valley power station last year. Maybe a year and a half ago. That left the entire area without power for some time. Now the media reported it as vandalism. But the thing is that whomever did it knew precisely what to do and where to do it inside the power station. And they were in and out before the cops got there. These were pros. They weren't vandals.

Then you had the main Internet cable cut between Phoenix and Flagstaff. That was also an in and out job, too, and they knew right where to go and cut it. Again, the media reported it as vandalism.

And, then, again, somebody hit the main Internet between San Francisco Bay and Silcon Valley. That, too, was reported as vandalism.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2943457/another-fiber-optic-cable-severed-by-vandals-slowing-west-coast-internet.html




"The latest attack occurred at around 4.30 am Pacific Time near the town of Livermore, about 50 miles east of San Francisco. Someone climbed down a manhole cover there and cut through several fiber optic cables, according to several (http://www.wsj.com/articles/fbi-investigates-new-attack-on-internet-fiber-optic-cables-1435709881)reports (http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-sacramento-cables-vandalized-20150630-story.html). The FBI is investigating.

The cables are operated by backbone providers such as Level 3 Communications, which sell capacity to other cable and Internet providers. The cables carry huge amounts of data, so cutting them can slow services over a wide area."





Now that same report that said the FBI was investigating, but the FBI didn't seem to think it was "vandalism" at all, interestingly.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/07/01/california-internet-service-restored/29563899/




Experts and the FBI say whoever cut the lines needed tools and expertise, and that it's unlikely the repeated acts are simple vandalism. The attacks generally happened in underground vaults where the cables were protected by sheathing called conduit.

Those underground vaults are rarely monitored, and often sit in remote areas. In many parts of the West, the cables are buried a few feet underground but their routes are marked by waist-high orange poles, and above-ground junction boxes are housed in easily accessible storage sheds. While the Internet was designed to be redundant, there aren't that many backbone cables. Cutting a few could cause widespread disruption."




FBI website/statement - https://www.fbi.gov/sanfrancisco/press-releases/2015/fbi-and-local-law-enforcement-seek-publics-assistance-concerning-severed-fiber-optic-cables-in-the-east-bay-and-south-bay




"The FBI, in a close-working relationship with local law enforcement agencies in the Bay Area, is requesting assistance to identify the individuals responsible for vandalizing fiber optic cables in Fremont, Walnut Creek, Alamo, Berkeley, and San Jose, California. Within the past year, cables were intentionally severed at the following locations:



July 6, 2014, 9:44 p.m. near 7th St. and Grayson St. in Berkeley
July 6, 2014, 11:39 p.m. near Niles Canyon Blvd. and Mission Blvd. in Fremont
July 7, 2014, 12:24 a.m. near Jones Road and Iron Horse Trail in Walnut Creek
July 7, 2014, 12:51 a.m. near Niles Canyon Blvd. and Alameda Creek in Fremont
July 7, 2014, 2:13 a.m. near Stockton Ave. and University Ave. in San Jose
February 24, 2015, 11:30 p.m. near Niles Canyon Blvd. and Mission Blvd. in Fremont
February 24, 2015 11:30 p.m. near Niles Canyon Blvd. and Alameda Creek in Fremont
June 8, 2015, 11:00 p.m. near Danville Blvd. and Rudgear Road in Alamo
June 8, 2015, 11:40 p.m. near Overacker Ave and Mowry Ave in Fremont
June 9, 2015, 1:38 p.m. near Jones Road and Parkside Dr. in Walnut Creek

[vita3]

Washington Post is criminal

[AZJoe]

Washington Post is criminal

"How the mighty have fallen. Over the past couple of months, the Post has blown what was left of its journalistic reputation out of the water." - Annie Machon, former intelligence officer in the UK’s MI5 Security Service. https://consortiumnews.com/2017/01/02/wposts-new-fake-news-on-russian-hack/

[AZJoe]

Washington Post is criminal

Like the boy who cried "wolf", the Washington Post once again cries "Russia". The repeatedly discredited WaPo is intent on making its label synonymous with fake news.

First WaPo informed us about the secret massive network of sophisticated propaganda agents. How we were all surprised to learn from WaPo that all this time Dr. Ron Paul was just a secret agent of Russian propaganda. How lucky for us that the MSM had previously thrown its hefty might against Dr. Paul's campaigns to save us from him being president. Can you imagine what would have happened if he were elected?

Then the WaPo gave us the evidence free claim that Russia "hacked the election" by hacking the DNC. (Does that mean whistle-blower leaker Seth Rich was actually a secret sleeper agent?).

Now WaPo presents another hysterical headline that the Russian government hacked a New England power-grid. Time for War! Oopsie, no they didn't. A simple phone call to the power company verifies the report false. Yet WaPo and other MSM didn't bother with such basic standards of journalism and chose to run with another hysterical false news story.

[Brian4Liberty]

I haven't been much interested in news reporting over the last year or so but I do want to touch on this. Grid "vandalism" has been happening for a while. Especially over the last couple of years. I did post on it at one point because there were some things going on in terms of digital trading, and foreign and domestic financial clearing (also electronic).

Anyway. This kind of thing should not be disregarded entirely. If at all. In fact, I think it's really important to pay attention whenever it's brought up in any way.

For example, there was that attack on the Silicon Valley power station last year. Maybe a year and a half ago. That left the entire area without power for some time. Now the media reported it as vandalism. But the thing is that whomever did it knew precisely what to do and where to do it inside the power station. And they were in and out before the cops got there. These were pros. They weren't vandals.

Then you had the main Internet cable cut between Phoenix and Flagstaff. That was also an in and out job, too, and they knew right where to go and cut it. Again, the media reported it as vandalism.

And, then, again, somebody hit the main Internet between San Francisco Bay and Silcon Valley. That, too, was reported as vandalism.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2943457/another-fiber-optic-cable-severed-by-vandals-slowing-west-coast-internet.html

Now that same report that said the FBI was investigating, but the FBI didn't seem to think it was "vandalism" at all, interestingly.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/07/01/california-internet-service-restored/29563899/

FBI website/statement - https://www.fbi.gov/sanfrancisco/press-releases/2015/fbi-and-local-law-enforcement-seek-publics-assistance-concerning-severed-fiber-optic-cables-in-the-east-bay-and-south-bay

Beware when believing the media and the "officials".

Often these "attacks" are stupid kids doing stupid things. Intentionally cutting into conduits and cables? Most likely thieves looking for copper wire instead of a "highly sophisticated, precision attack".

[Jamesiv1]

Beware when believing the media and the "officials".

Often these "attacks" are stupid kids doing stupid things. Intentionally cutting into conduits and cables? Most likely thieves looking for copper wire instead of a "highly sophisticated, precision attack".
For some reasons meth-heads really like stealing copper and selling it for scrap. Kind of weird.

[Natural Citizen]

Beware when believing the media and the "officials".

Often these "attacks" are stupid kids doing stupid things. Intentionally cutting into conduits and cables? Most likely thieves looking for copper wire instead of a "highly sophisticated, precision attack".

Perhaps. I was just putting it out there. Proceed...

[AZJoe]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qSrprBYdxA&t=83s