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Comment by boesboes | Hacker News Reader

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Lets give some benefit of doubt to this fellow with a russian wife https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/03/who-is-the-doge-and-x-te...

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding something but this could just mean their own equipment is compromised in some way. I wouldn't be surprised if they were using personal computers to conduct their work and downloading/executing any software they find on GitHub without regard for malicious code or supply chain attacks.

What could the Russians possibly offer Musk that he would work for them?

It's much more likely that these guys were either using a Russian VPN, or one or more of their devices were compromised.

No it is not. All it says is that they appear to not be careful enough in what they do. Maybe even childish.

Going by Occam's Razor, you'd be correct. The scenario with the least assumptions is the DOGE people are using personal devices too much, one of which had already been compromised. Which makes sense from Russian intelligence's point of view: people who ignore security because it slows them down are easier targets, and people with credentials to multiple systems are more valuable targets. They wouldn't be able to resist when those are the same people.

I think you could go the other way with Occam's Razor here. If you observe an extremely Russia-friendly administration coming in and meticulously dismantling American soft power around the world, I think to say that there's no connection would be reaching.

It seemed to me that when trying to log back in they bounced through a Russian vpn to be able to have a mildly plausible explanation. But yeah, your story is simpler and even more disturbing.

Or use a vpn.

We can debate the finer points of intent. The situation is that whoever put them there is fine with the current risk of Russian (or whoever, seems to be a party going on) infiltration.

Ignorance is not a defence. Unwilling accomplices are still accomplices. But nothing will happen to them. The reign of the oligarchy is bearing down fast.

I'm confused, are they Russian agents or wannabe oligopolists? Presumably it can't be both, as being part of the American oligopoly in an America that is subservient to Russia seems hardly worthwhile.

Nobody mentioned about subservience, simply incompetance, if contractor X is given a DOGE superuser account, while also having his entire network compromised, there is some responsibility on you for that.

My oligarchy comment stems from the fact that one of the largest private company owners in the US is seemingly allowed to take all of this potentially rival information at will, without even having to inform anyone what exactly they want to look at.

All because he's friends with the president, to me thats an oligarchy.

This entire subthread is about Musk et all "work for Moscow".

I guess I was also taking issue with your assertion that "unwitting accomplices are still accomplices", as that is generally not how it is viewed by courts of law or reasonable people.

Hmm, I’m not going to say musk is working with Russia or not, that’s a whole political thing that’s all opinion based until there are facts of course, but as for your view of the court system, INAL but there is “Federal Tort Act” that says you can sue the government for negligence but to be honest you’re probably right, nothing will happen anyway.

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