State Dept. whistleblower has email hacked, deleted

[Wilikon]

WASHINGTON — The personal e-mail account of a State Department whis­tle­­blower was hacked, and four years worth of messages — some detailing alleged wrongdoing at the agency — were deleted, The Post has learned.
The computer attack targeted the Gmail account of Diplomatic Security Service criminal investigator Richard Higbie, his lawyer, Cary Schulman, confirmed.
“They took all of his e-mails and then they deleted them all,” said Schulman. He said that he could not prove who was responsible for the hack job, but said the attack was “sophisticated” and called the targeting of Higbie “alarming.”
“Obviously, somebody is not happy with something he’s doing and wanted to get that information and also cause him an inability in the future to have ready access to that,” Schulman said.
The e-mails included evidence about misconduct by top officials at the department, communications with other potential whistleblowers there, and correspondence with members of Congress who are investigating the allegations, Schulman said.
They also include correspondence between Higbie and Schulman about legal strategy, the lawyer said.
Schulman said he could not provide details about the evidence deleted with the e-mails.
Higbie has asked the FBI in Dallas, where he lives, to investigate the hacking, which occurred this month.

Higbie played a key role in helping fellow whistleblower Aurelia Fedenisn, a former investigator for the department’s inspector general, reveal in June a pattern of alleged coverups by top department officials.
The alleged coverups included keeping quiet separate IG investigations that found that members of then-Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton’s security detail had engaged hookers and that the Belgian ambassador had solicited underage prostitutes.
These were among a string of investigations by the service, responsible for protecting dignitaries and investigating crimes within the department, that were allegedly derailed by senior officials, including one instance of interference by Clinton Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills.
Since the revelations in June, the department again mostly swept the cases under the rug.
Higbie, a senior criminal investigator and the second-highest-ranking agent with the service’s Dallas office, also has an employment lawsuit against the department, alleging it retaliated against him.
The hacking of Higbie’s e-mail follows a mysterious break-in at Schulman’s Dallas law firm in July, shortly after the whistleblower allegations came to light.
The burglar sawed a hole through the wall from an adjoining office and stole three computers, but left behind other valuables.
Although cops arrested a petty thief for the crime, Schulman said, “We feel like we’re in a movie. It’s nuts. It makes us wonder . . . . maybe we’ve got something we don’t even realize or maybe they’re worried about something.”

http://nypost.com/2013/12/30/state-dept-whistleblower-has-email-hacked-deleted/
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[hilariousandco]

“They took all of his e-mails and then they deleted them all,” said Schulman. He said that he could not prove who was responsible for the hack job, but said the attack was “sophisticated” and called the targeting of Higbie “alarming.”

Sophisticated? Bet somebody just guessed his mother's maiden name haha.

[xkeyscore89]

He should've learned from these actions and stayed quiet.  This is not a sophisticated hack.  It makes him look like an amateur.  He didn't even have copies of all these messages?  Whoever hacked him was likely monitoring his personal comms well in advance, finally determining that he was no longer a threat, humiliating him in a way most people wouldn't publicly disclose.

n00b

[Spendulus]

He should've learned from these actions and stayed quiet.  This is not a sophisticated hack.  It makes him look like an amateur.  He didn't even have copies of all these messages?  Whoever hacked him was likely monitoring his personal comms well in advance, finally determining that he was no longer a threat, humiliating him in a way most people wouldn't publicly disclose.

n00b

so a user can 'permanently delete' gmail content, and Google does not retain a copy.

Not believable.

[bryant.coleman]

So a user can 'permanently delete' gmail content, and Google does not retain a copy.

Not believable.

Google might keep an encrypted backup. But only the user can decrypt it with his password. Possible.

Also, recently Gmail introduced a new option. Once you are dead (i.e your account is not active for 12 months or so), you can chose to give your mail access to someone you trust.

[hilariousandco]

So a user can 'permanently delete' gmail content, and Google does not retain a copy.

Not believable.

Google might keep an encrypted backup. But only the user can decrypt it with his password. Possible.

Also, recently Gmail introduced a new option. Once you are dead (i.e your account is not active for 12 months or so), you can chose to give your mail access to someone you trust.

How do they know you're dead? Just down to inactivity?

[Spendulus]

So a user can 'permanently delete' gmail content, and Google does not retain a copy.

Not believable.

Google might keep an encrypted backup. But only the user can decrypt it with his password. Possible.

Also, recently Gmail introduced a new option. Once you are dead (i.e your account is not active for 12 months or so), you can chose to give your mail access to someone you trust.

How do they know you're dead? Just down to inactivity?

re bolded part above.

No, hell no.  That would prevent them from selling that part of your data.  And they'd never make a sacrifice of their profit for your benefit without loudly proclaiming their goodness to the world (and then secretly selling your data anyway...)

[Wilikon]

Not a random act The video need to be seen.
--------------------------------------------------------

The offices of a Dallas law firm representing a high-profile State Department whistleblower were broken into last weekend. Burglars stole three computers and broke into the firm's file cabinets. But silver bars, video equipment and other valuables were left untouched, according to local Fox affiliate KDFW, which aired security camera footage of the suspected burglars entering and leaving the offices around the time of the incident.
The firm Schulman & Mathias represents Aurelia Fedenisn, a former investigator at the State Department's Office of the Inspector General. In recent weeks, she raised a slew of explosive allegations against the department and its contractors ranging from illicit drug use, soliciting sexual favors from minors and prostitutes and sexual harassment.
"It's a crazy, strange and suspicious situation," attorney Cary Schulman told The Cable. "It's clear to me that it was somebody looking for information and not money. My most high-profile case right now is the Aurelia Fedenisn case, and I can't think of any other case where someone would go to these great lengths to get our information."
According to the KDFW report, the firm was the only suite burglarized in the high-rise office building and an unlocked office adjacent was left untouched.
The State Department, which has repeatedly disputed Fedenisn's allegations, denied any involvement in the incident. "Any allegation that the Department of State authorized someone to break into Mr. Schulman's law firm is false and baseless," spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
After assessing the surveillance footage, Schulman said he believed the motivations were likely political, but did not suspect department involvement. "It wasn't professional enough," he said. "It is possible that an Obama or Hillary supporter feels that I am unfairly going after them. And the timing of this is right after several weeks of very public media attention so it seems to me most likely that the information sought is related to that case. I don't know for sure and I want the police to do their work."
Fedenisn's case, in particular, has gained attention not just because of the substance of the allegations, but for her insistence that internal investigations into misconduct were "influenced, manipulated or simply called off" by senior State Department officials. The suppression of investigations was noted in an early draft of an Inspector General report she gave to CBS News, but softened in the final version.
Last month, her lawyers told The Cable that the department tried to intimidate her into silence. "They had law enforcement officers camp out in front of her house, harass her children and attempt to incriminate herself," claimed Schulman.
Schulman said the purpose of the visit was to get Fedenisn to sign documents admitting that she stole State Department documents -- a charge Fedenisn denies.
Schulman & Mathias represent a range of clients on matters from fraud to wrongful death to bad faith insurance practices to medical malpractice. Any number of those cases could've exposed the firm to such a break in, but Schulman said he was skeptical. "I'm involved in other cases locally, but those cases are rather stale."


Edit: here is the link:

JULY 7, 2013 - 10:10 PM

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/07/07/cameras_catch_mystery_break_in_at_whistleblowers_law_firm#.UdowF8XWqBN.twitter

[U1TRA_L0RD]

Why would someone delete his email? Couldnt they just had found some revealing secrets such as corrution in his email?

[Wilikon]

Why would someone delete his email? Couldnt they just had found some revealing secrets such as corrution in his email?

If you have the time, check out the link, hopefully the video will play. I will correct the link. I got it wrong.

JULY 7, 2013 - 10:10 PM

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/07/07/cameras_catch_mystery_break_in_at_whistleblowers_law_firm#.UdowF8XWqBN.twitter

[Wilikon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn2wHogkyGI

That was around July 2013.

[bryant.coleman]

How do they know you're dead? Just down to inactivity?

Yes. If you are inactive for a period of 12 months or so (you can specify that), then the access to your email account will be passed on to someone of your choice.

[U1TRA_L0RD]

How do they know you're dead? Just down to inactivity?

Yes. If you are inactive for a period of 12 months or so (you can specify that), then the access to your email account will be passed on to someone of your choice.

I girl died in my town and her FB was being bombarded with R.I.P and all that, so FB decided to delete her FB with all her family pics in it and stuff without notifying the family because they wanted to keep those pictures of her,and I knew her aswell pretty fucked up right?

[hilariousandco]

How do they know you're dead? Just down to inactivity?

Yes. If you are inactive for a period of 12 months or so (you can specify that), then the access to your email account will be passed on to someone of your choice.

I girl died in my town and her F was being bombarded with R.I.P and all that, so FB decided to delete her FB with all her family pics in it and stuff without notifying the family because they wanted to keep those pictures of her,and I knew her aswell pretty fucked up right?

What's F? Surely Facebook doesn't delete all the stuff from their servers for a while, but that's a shit situation to be in and one Facebook should consider?

[U1TRA_L0RD]

How do they know you're dead? Just down to inactivity?

Yes. If you are inactive for a period of 12 months or so (you can specify that), then the access to your email account will be passed on to someone of your choice.

I girl died in my town and her F was being bombarded with R.I.P and all that, so FB decided to delete her FB with all her family pics in it and stuff without notifying the family because they wanted to keep those pictures of her,and I knew her aswell pretty fucked up right?

What's F? Surely Facebook doesn't delete all the stuff from their servers for a while, but that's a shit situation to be in and one Facebook should consider?

Yes FB sorry i corrected that, but yes, I dont think her family can do something about it now, but she lived close by my apartments and her body was found a couple blocks down the street in another apartment complex dumpster.

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_southeast_valley/mesa/body-in-mesa-dumpster-update-1000-reward-offered-in-claudia-luceros-death

[Wilikon]

How do they know you're dead? Just down to inactivity?

Yes. If you are inactive for a period of 12 months or so (you can specify that), then the access to your email account will be passed on to someone of your choice.

I girl died in my town and her F was being bombarded with R.I.P and all that, so FB decided to delete her FB with all her family pics in it and stuff without notifying the family because they wanted to keep those pictures of her,and I knew her aswell pretty fucked up right?

What's F? Surely Facebook doesn't delete all the stuff from their servers for a while, but that's a shit situation to be in and one Facebook should consider?

Yes FB sorry i corrected that, but yes, I dont think her family can do something about it now, but she lived close by my apartments and her body was found a couple blocks down the street in another apartment complex dumpster.

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_southeast_valley/mesa/body-in-mesa-dumpster-update-1000-reward-offered-in-claudia-luceros-death

I do not understand the logic of giving food and shelter and cable TV to someone like this. 14? This animal should be turn into fish food.

[U1TRA_L0RD]

How do they know you're dead? Just down to inactivity?

Yes. If you are inactive for a period of 12 months or so (you can specify that), then the access to your email account will be passed on to someone of your choice.

I girl died in my town and her F was being bombarded with R.I.P and all that, so FB decided to delete her FB with all her family pics in it and stuff without notifying the family because they wanted to keep those pictures of her,and I knew her aswell pretty fucked up right?

What's F? Surely Facebook doesn't delete all the stuff from their servers for a while, but that's a shit situation to be in and one Facebook should consider?

Yes FB sorry i corrected that, but yes, I dont think her family can do something about it now, but she lived close by my apartments and her body was found a couple blocks down the street in another apartment complex dumpster.

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_southeast_valley/mesa/body-in-mesa-dumpster-update-1000-reward-offered-in-claudia-luceros-death

I do not understand the logic of giving food and shelter and cable TV to someone like this. 14? This animal should be turn into fish food.

Yes, I totally agree, but now I heard that he can get the death sentence.