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Comment by ben_w | Hacker News Reader

Here’s a “fun” thought: if you were running a foreign intelligence operation in the USA, surely you’d try to get one of your agents into the mob that got into the Capitol building and given free reign over all those computers, computers that were not locked properly before the legitimate users fled for their safety?

I’m not just talking about Russia and China here, I mean all the intelligence agencies.

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The threat has already been realized. Apparently a twitter user got into Pelosi's office and posted an screenshot of one of their computers (tweet deleted about an hour ago [1]). You can see the tweet at other sources [2]

[1] https://twitter.com/ElijahSchaffer/status/134690542554391757...

[2] https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/01/pro-trump-report...

There’s a good thread debunking that it was actually Pelosi’s computer as well as details of the security protocols around the computers: https://twitter.com/foone/status/1346924327996772354?s=21

The person you linked to believes it to be a government computer, that did not comply with the security protocols (which he says is “very common”).

https://mobile.twitter.com/Foone/status/1346925826923663360

There’s no debunk here. It’s a computer connected to the government network at Nancy peolosi’s desk. Anything else is just semantics.

Except the part where it is not her desk or computer: https://twitter.com/ElijahSchaffer/status/134698517009265049...

Did anyone in the chain of comments, say that it was Pelosi's computer? The original poster of the photo, the person who broke in, only said it was in Pelosi's office, which seems true. It's obviously not Pelosi's email inbox visible on the screen, that doesn't need to be "debunked".

This is Hacker News I think we can do a bit better than posting screenshots, here is a way to see deleted tweets [0].

[0] https://factba.se/topic/deleted-tweets

I'm surprised they let leadership back in so quickly. Maybe the dogs got through the floor/tunnels quickly. There are reports of at least two bombs, though news said outside the building.

I think the symbolism of going back tonight is more important than the small risk. But I agree with you this is a breach that needs to be dealt with.

Though with all those computers hacked via solarwinds already anyways maybe it doesn't matter lol

This is totally not my area. But are most offices for members of congress not able to keep the _really_ secret stuff on their own systems? Like, is the most sensitive stuff only in a well-secured SCIF in the basement or something?

SOP when I worked in a similar environment was that if there's an evacuation you don't take time to lock up. Probably not an issue for a SCIF, but could be a problem if a congressperson has a safe in their office

Depends on the threat and the secrets you are protecting. If it’s looking REALLY bad, or the secrets are important enough (SCIF), you start destroying things and hope you finish the destruction in time to get out.

That's a good point. Our primary threat was natural disasters, so I can see how different locations might handle things differently

Members of Congress have very limited access to secrets, and none of it will be on the unlocked computer in their front office.

That’s (mostly) because such information is the domain of the executive branch.

Secrets is a very lose term here. I'm sure some wall street dudes would pay millions to get the emails of congress members. Also, just because the computers locked doesn't mean i can't copy a hard drive...

Why would they need access to their emails? They already talk to them face to face.

Because people say different things to different people.

Maybe you are confusing email address with Emmett conversations.

> Members of Congress have very limited access to secrets, and none of it will be on the unlocked computer in their front office.

Members of the house intelligence committee have access to all levels of US secrets. There is nothing classified enough to where they can’t see it. Some members even fell for Chinese spy honeypot influence campaigns.

Well yes. They'd probably have to be illegals though because the traditional legal spies will be stationed at embassies and the FBI will be watching them constantly and don't need to ask permission to stop them.

Given the whole Russian play is destabilizing the US, Trump is so far gone now that they probably couldn't dream of it when planning whatever exactly they did do.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump%27s_disclosures_o... Then again if you ask nicely enough he'll give it to you.

I mean, they could also be agents, i.e., Americans acting on the behalf of a foreign power. I guarantee the Russians are at least encouraging this on social media. (Though I also believe this is predominantly a domestic problem)

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