Top-secret NSA Report Details Russian Hacking Effort Days Before 2016 Election

[CPUd]

Top-secret NSA Report Details Russian Hacking Effort Days Before 2016 Election
Matthew Cole, Richard Esposito, Sam Biddle, Ryan Grim
June 5 2017, 2:44 p.m.


RUSSIAN MILITARY INTELLIGENCE executed a cyberattack on at least one U.S. voting software supplier and sent spear-phishing emails to more than 100 local election officials just days before last November’s presidential election, according to a highly classified intelligence report obtained by The Intercept.

The top-secret National Security Agency document, which was provided anonymously to The Intercept and independently authenticated, analyzes intelligence very recently acquired by the agency about a months-long Russian intelligence cyber effort against elements of the U.S. election and voting infrastructure. The report, dated May 5, 2017, is the most detailed U.S. government account of Russian interference in the election that has yet come to light.

While the document provides a rare window into the NSA’s understanding of the mechanics of Russian hacking, it does not show the underlying “raw” intelligence on which the analysis is based. A U.S. intelligence officer who declined to be identified cautioned against drawing too big a conclusion from the document because a single analysis is not necessarily definitive.

http://i.imgur.com/jG2vnps.gif

The report indicates that Russian hacking may have penetrated further into U.S. voting systems than was previously understood. It states unequivocally in its summary statement that it was Russian military intelligence, specifically the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate, or GRU, that conducted the cyber attacks described in the document:


Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate actors … executed cyber espionage operations against a named U.S. company in August 2016, evidently to obtain information on elections-related software and hardware solutions. … The actors likely used data obtained from that operation to … launch a voter registration-themed spear-phishing campaign targeting U.S. local government organizations.

This NSA summary judgment is sharply at odds with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s denial last week that Russia had interfered in foreign elections: “We never engaged in that on a state level, and have no intention of doing so.” Putin, who had previously issued blanket denials that any such Russian meddling occurred, for the first time floated the possibility that freelance Russian hackers with “patriotic leanings” may have been responsible. The NSA report, on the contrary, displays no doubt that the cyber assault was carried out by the GRU.

The NSA analysis does not draw conclusions about whether the interference had any effect on the election’s outcome and concedes that much remains unknown about the extent of the hackers’ accomplishments. However, the report raises the possibility that Russian hacking may have breached at least some elements of the voting system, with disconcertingly uncertain results.

The NSA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence were both contacted for this article. Officials requested that we not publish or report on the top secret document and declined to comment on it. When informed that we intended to go ahead with this story, the NSA requested a number of redactions. The Intercept agreed to some of the redaction requests after determining that the disclosure of that material was not clearly in the public interest.

The report adds significant new detail to the picture that emerged from the unclassified intelligence assessment about Russian election meddling released by the Obama administration in January. The January assessment presented the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusions but omitted many specifics, citing concerns about disclosing sensitive sources and methods. The assessment concluded with high confidence that the Kremlin ordered an extensive, multi-pronged propaganda effort “to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency.”

That review did not attempt to assess what effect the Russian efforts had on the election, despite the fact that “Russian intelligence obtained and maintained access to elements of multiple US state or local electoral boards.” According to the Department of Homeland Security, the assessment reported reassuringly, “the types of systems we observed Russian actors targeting or compromising are not involved in vote tallying.”

The NSA has now learned, however, that Russian government hackers, part of a team with a “cyber espionage mandate specifically directed at U.S. and foreign elections,” focused on parts of the system directly connected to the voter registration process, including a private sector manufacturer of devices that maintain and verify the voter rolls. Some of the company’s devices are advertised as having wireless internet and Bluetooth connectivity, which could have provided an ideal staging point for further malicious actions.
...
https://theintercept.com/2017/06/05/top-secret-nsa-report-details-russian-hacking-effort-days-before-2016-election/

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Cliffs Notes:

1. Nations play spy games with one another.
2. Sometimes they succeed. Sometimes they don't.
3. Nations deny spying on one another.

[CPUd]

http://i.imgur.com/oM9s8Cw.jpg

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

https://rabblerouserruminations.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/bc0a9-borisnatashatrumptower.jpg




http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/21/0217a33b-c794-5835-8aff-ba386543818c/579eb8e8618a1.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C840



http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vq9U_dLc3cQ/WHMnBIKZ6BI/AAAAAAAAAMI/GmHz4Oy9bK0gZpYZmnu6gQ5tXfvAu4kxQCK4B/s760/Boris%2Band%2BNatasha.jpg



https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/fe/d9/f3/fed9f368b7d83b56531fabf087dedc5b.jpg





https://suntimesmedia.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/0575-rocky___bullwinkle_cartoon_character_-_04103_36733485.jpg?w=570&h=260&crop=1

,,

[CPUd]

871862790113419264
https://twitter.com/max_read/status/871862790113419264

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

http://carboncostume.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Natasha-Fatale.jpg

[CPUd]

http://i.imgur.com/v26EjSY.jpg

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

oh noes russia hax0red all those paper ballots

[CPUd]

Reality Winner

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6e/a3/73/6ea3731f6f84e5fc433b613146a0a0a2.jpg















http://www.prothinspo.com/images/Ivanka-Trump-Sexy-Boss-Pics_07_1_.jpg

[CPUd]

871775381778563072
https://twitter.com/funder/status/871775381778563072

[goldenequity]

871871070877437957

http://i469.photobucket.com/albums/rr55/goldenequity/reality.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DBlgSuQV0AAbwf-.jpg

[spudea]

wow she is going to jail for a long time and the leak is nothing substantive, the Intercept should be blamed for ruining this girls life.

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

wtf kind of name is reality winner

[goldenequity]

wow she is going to jail for a long time and the leak is nothing substantive, the Intercept should be blamed for ruining this girls life.

Both are simply useful idiots. :rolleyes:

Headline: "Top-Secret NSA Report Details Russian Hacking Effort Days Before 2016 Election"


The top-secret National Security Agency document, which was provided anonymously to The Intercept and independently authenticated, analyzes intelligence very recently acquired by the agency about a months-long Russian intelligence cyber effort against elements of the U.S. election and voting infrastructure. The report, dated May 5, 2017,

Nope. Sorry. No. You guys have had quite long enough to come up with real evidence. You are strategically releasing to step on the Seth Rich leak investigation, which has REAL sources, and REAL metadata

We even knew you were going to do this well before you did it!

We know about the awans, we know about the DCC leaks and the DNC leaks. You're already had 3 of your hackers outed as fakes, Crowdstrike has been outed as a fake....Wasserman shultz is about to be arrested, Hillary is back under investigtigatioin for fraud with Clinton Foundation; and we know about Weiners blackberries. Huma abedin's place was just raided by FBI and you are still, STILL trying to control this situaiton. You can't. You're done.

We don't believe you any more, Intelligence Community

This is a fabrication. A School play runing on empty.

[nikcers]

wtf kind of name is reality winner
The fake name she gave herself when she hacked into government records and changed it at the age of 12. Why else do you get offered a job at the NSA?

[otherone]

https://theintercept.com/2017/06/05/top-secret-nsa-report-details-russian-hacking-effort-days-before-2016-election/

https://www.infowars.com/vault-7-cia-can-stage-fake-russian-hacking-to-undermine-trump/


https://media.giphy.com/media/XOELmOhVyw9vq/giphy.gif

[CPUd]

871831521174401024
https://twitter.com/theintercept/status/871831521174401024

[nikcers]

Putin: If The Deep State Can Kill JFK, They Can Frame Russia For Hacks (http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=56838)


"There's a theory that Kennedy's assassination was arranged by the United States Intelligence services," Putin said. "So if this theory is correct -- and that can't be ruled out -- then what could be easier, in this day and age, than using all the technical means at the disposal of the intelligence services, and using those means to organize some attacks, and then pointing the finger at Russia?"

[FSP-Rebel]

871842902238007297
871911031978598400
871864444481146882

[FSP-Rebel]

871880776018792448

[CPUd]

871869655606022145
https://twitter.com/ComfortablySmug/status/871869655606022145

[Jamesiv1]

Hottest First Lady evar^

[goldenequity]

House Subpoenas Elevate Probe Into Improper Intelligence Surveillance--Newest Target is Samantha Powers

https://i2.wp.com/truepundit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/s1.freebeacon.comHouse-probe-6f41bbb1aa43a77e1df7e9765594a5c5aebc00c2.png?resiz e=485%2C340

Oh goodie.

[Jamesiv1]

http://www.prothinspo.com/images/Ivanka-Trump-Sexy-Boss-Pics_07_1_.jpg
Hottest First Daughter evar^^

[Anti Federalist]

Can we get rid of the electronic voting machines now?

[Anti Federalist]

So, produce the evidence, declare the election null and void, and do over.

Or, even better, appoint Hillary president.

I'd love that outcome, just for the reaction alone.

[otherone]

So, produce the evidence, declare the election null and void, and do over.

Or, even better, appoint Hillary president.

I'd love that outcome, just for the reaction alone.

meh.

http://thesportsfanjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/homer-simpson-tv-sports-pennant.jpg

[Swordsmyth]

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-05/fbi-arrests-nsa-contractor-who-leaked-top-secret-russian-hacking-document-intercept


Since the document is confidential, and is only held by the Intercept, and since it will not be unclassified, nothing that is contained inside it can be verified, aside from the Intercept's own summary take. Furthermore, according to the author, not even the leaked document "shows the underlying “raw” intelligence on which the analysis is based." In other words, just like the January Russian hacking report, it is yet another allegation. At that point, it once again devolves to "he said, she said" mutual allegations.

Where the story gets more interesting, however, is that just hours after the Intercept reported on the top secret document, the FBI arrested and charged the woman (with the peculiar name Reality Leigh Winner) they say leaked a Top Secret document to The Intercept.
This is what the DOJ released moments ago (https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/federal-government-contractor-georgia-charged-removing-and-mailing-classified-materials-news):



Federal Government Contractor in Georgia Charged With Removing and Mailing Classified Materials to a News Outlet

A criminal complaint was filed in the Southern District of Georgia today charging Reality Leigh Winner, 25, a federal contractor from Augusta, Georgia, with removing classified material from a government facility and mailing it to a news outlet, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 793(e).

Winner was arrested by the FBI at her home on Saturday, June 3, and appeared in federal court in Augusta this afternoon.

“Exceptional law enforcement efforts allowed us quickly to identify and arrest the defendant,” said Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein. “Releasing classified material without authorization threatens our nation’s security and undermines public faith in government. People who are trusted with classified information and pledge to protect it must be held accountable when they violate that obligation.”

According to the allegations contained in the criminal complaint:

Winner is a contractor with Pluribus International Corporation assigned to a U.S. government agency facility in Georgia. She has been employed at the facility since on or about February 13, and has held a Top Secret clearance during that time. On or about May 9, Winner printed and improperly removed classified intelligence reporting, which contained classified national defense information from an intelligence community agency, and unlawfully retained it. Approximately a few days later, Winner unlawfully transmitted by mail the intelligence reporting to an online news outlet.
Once investigative efforts identified Winner as a suspect, the FBI obtained and executed a search warrant at her residence. According to the complaint, Winner agreed to talk with ag

nts during the execution of the warrant. During that conversation, Winner admitted intentionally identifying and printing the classified intelligence reporting at issue despite not having a "need to know," and with knowledge that the intelligence reporting was classified. Winner further admitted removing the classified intelligence reporting from her office space, retaining it, and mailing it from Augusta, Georgia, to the news outlet, which she knew was not authorized to receive or possess the documents.

An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

The prosecution is being handled by Trial Attorney Julie A. Edelstein of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Solari of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia. The investigation is being conducted by the FBI.


2017 06 05 Winner Criminal Complaint Form (https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/971336/download)
2017 06 05 Winner Criminal Complaint Affidavit (https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/971331/download)

[goldenequity]

Deep State cronies getting moar and moar desperate for a 'star' witness at the Congressional dog & pony deflection/misdirection. sad. :D


Czech Court: Russian hacker can be extradited to US or Russia (http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/30/the-associated-press-court-russian-hacker-can-be-extradited-to-us-or-russia.html)

[Russian Hacker Yevgeniy Nikulin] said they urged him to falsely testify
that he was cooperating with Russia directives
in the hacking attack on the Democratic National Committee.
He said U.S. authorities would, in exchange, give him money and a life in the United States.

[Jamesiv1]

Deep State cronies getting moar and moar desperate for a 'star' witness at the Congressional dog & pony deflection/misdirection. sad. :D


Czech Court: Russian hacker can be extradited to US or Russia (http://http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/30/the-associated-press-court-russian-hacker-can-be-extradited-to-us-or-russia.html)

[Russian Hacker Yevgeniy Nikulin] said they urged him to falsely testify
that he was cooperating with Russia directives
in the hacking attack on the Democratic National Committee.
He said U.S. authorities would, in exchange, give him money and a life in the United States.
Weapons of Mass Distraction

[jllundqu]

Cliffs Notes:

1. Nations play spy games with one another.
2. Sometimes they succeed. Sometimes they don't.
3. Nations deny spying on one another.

Exactly. I'd like to see the report detailing how far US intelligence has hacked into foreign nations infrastructure for an honest comparison.

[timosman]

Exactly. I'd like to see the report detailing how far US intelligence has hacked into foreign nations infrastructure for an honest comparison.

Why don't you file a FOIA request?:cool:

[CPUd]

Four top law firms turned down requests to represent Trump
Michael IsikoffChief Investigative Correspondent•Yahoo NewsJune 6, 2017


Top lawyers with at least four major law firms rebuffed White House overtures to represent President Trump in the Russia investigations, in part over concerns that the president would be unwilling to listen to their advice, according to five sources familiar with discussions about the matter.

The unwillingness of some of the country’s most prestigious attorneys and their law firms to represent Trump has complicated the administration’s efforts to mount a coherent defense strategy to deal with probes being conducted by four congressional committees as well as Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller.

The president’s chief lawyer now in charge of the case is Marc E. Kasowitz, a tough New York civil litigator who for years has aggressively represented Trump in multiple business and public relations disputes — often with threats of countersuits and menacing public statements — but who has little experience dealing with complex congressional and Justice Department investigations that are inevitably influenced by media coverage and public opinion.

Before Kasowitz was retained, however, some of the biggest law firms and their best-known attorneys turned down overtures when they were sounded out by White House officials to see if they would be willing to represent the president, the sources said.

Among them, sources said, were some of the most high-profile names in the legal profession, including Brendan Sullivan of Williams & Connolly; Ted Olson of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; Paul Clement and Mark Filip of Kirkland & Ellis; and Robert Giuffra of Sullivan & Cromwell.

The lawyers and their firms cited a variety of factors in choosing not to take on the president as a client. Some, like Brendan Sullivan, said they had upcoming trials or existing commitments that would make it impossible for them to devote the necessary time and resources to Trump’s defense.

Others mentioned potential conflicts with clients of their firms, such as financial institutions that have already received subpoenas relating to potential money-laundering issues that are part of the investigation.

But a consistent theme, the sources said, was the concern about whether the president would accept the advice of his lawyers and refrain from public statements and tweets that have consistently undercut his position.

“The concerns were, ‘The guy won’t pay and he won’t listen,’” said one lawyer close to the White House who is familiar with some of the discussions between the firms and the administration, as well as deliberations within the firms themselves.

Other factors, the lawyer said, were that it would “kill recruitment” for the firms to be publicly associated with representing the polarizing president and jeopardize the firms’ relationships with other clients.

Another lawyer briefed on some of the discussions agreed that the firms were worried about the reputational risk of representing the president. One issue that arose, this lawyer said, was “Do I want to be associated with this president and his policies?” In addition, the lawyer said, there were concerns that if they took on the case, “Who’s in charge?” and “Would he listen?”

None of the lawyers who turned down the White House overtures responded to requests for comment by Yahoo News.

The White House began discreetly reaching out to assemble an outside legal team several weeks ago, after the public uproar over the firing of FBI Director James Comey — who is due to testify before the Senate intelligence committee on Thursday — followed by the appointment of Mueller as Justice Department special counsel.

Among those who began calling around on the president’s behalf were White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, senior counselor Kellyanne Conway and White House counsel Don McGahn. In some cases, the discussions led to meetings or phone calls between the lawyers who were approached and the president himself.

Some of the sources who spoke to Yahoo News said the top lawyers and the four firms that rejected the overtures were not exhaustive of the list of firms approached by the White House. Among those who also were reportedly approached were Reid Weingarten of Steptoe & Johnson and A.B. Culvahouse Jr. of O’Melveny & Myers.

The hiring of Kasowitz has been criticized by some who view the New York lawyer as a pit-bull litigator who lacks the finesse to represent the president in probes that involve the public arena. Among the cases on which he has represented Trump over the years were lawsuits involving Trump University and divorce proceedings.

But one of the sources said that Kasowitz has been reaching out to Washington legal veterans to solicit ideas and suggestions about how to craft an overall defense strategy, including how and when to publicly release information that might be helpful to the president’s defense, the source said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/four-top-law-firms-turned-requests-represent-trump-122423972.html

[FSP-Rebel]

871968023124619264

[enhanced_deficit]

That is bit surprising, usually No Such Agency can keeps secrets bottled up for decades.
In any case, let's wait till investigations are completed and all the facts come out about claims regarding our sacred election's rigging by insiders/outsiders.


Related

Fifty Years Later, NSA Keeps Details of Israel’s USS Liberty Attack Secret (https://theintercept.com/2017/06/06/fifty-years-later-nsa-keeps-details-of-israels-uss-liberty-attack-secret/)


Unheard of: Obama forcefully denies election rigging claims

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC1NGWM8gP8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC1NGWM8gP8

Claim: Seth Rich Hacked the DNC. (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?505478-Seth-Rich-Hacked-the-DNC&)

[enhanced_deficit]

CPU, to be clear, are you questioning the Integrity of the Elections and the Will of the People?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC1NGWM8gP8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC1NGWM8gP8

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC1NGWM8gP8)
That said, this cratoon had crossed the line though:

http://grrrgraphics.com/uploads/7/4/7/3/74734153/russian-bear-obama-ben-garrison_1_orig.jpg





Related

Trump used to like winners... until he read this news:



What we know about Reality Winner


CNN
- ‎3 hours ago‎



(CNN) Before she was accused of mailing classified information to a media outlet, Reality Winner was a Texas-raised linguist, yoga instructor and animal lover who regularly took to social media to blast President Donald Trump.

https://heavyeditorial.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/18721905_421539764883919_4495621347661053952_n.jpg ?quality=65&strip=all&w=780&strip=all

[CPUd]

872138004445487104
https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/872138004445487104