ChamberLeaks: Plan Solicited By Chamber Lawyers Included Malware Hacking Of Activist Computers

[kpete]

Source: Think Progress

ChamberLeaks: Plan Solicited By Chamber Lawyers Included Malware Hacking Of Activist ......................

In addition to the Team Themis plans that ThinkProgress and other outlets have reported on, a closer look at the proposals show that the firms had planned to use exploits to steal information from the Chamber’s opponents, or worse. On November 2, HB Gary Federal executive Aaron Barr sent John Woods, a lawyer at Hunton and Williams representing the Chamber, two documents discussing tactics for assisting the Chamber (view the e-mail here). One presentation (click here to download) boasted of HBGary Federal’s capabilities in “Information Operations,” a military contractor term for offensive data extraction techniques typically reserved for use against terrorist groups. The slide includes sections on “Vulnerability Research/Exploit Development” and “Malware Analysis and Reverse Engineering.” View a screenshot below:

HBGary, the parent company of HBGary Federal, specializes in analyzing “malware,” computer viruses that are used to maliciously steal data from computers or networks. In other presentations, Barr makes clear that his expertise in “Information Operations” covers forms of hacking like a “computer network attack,” “custom malware development,” and “persistent software implants.” The presentation shows Barr boasting that he had knowledge of using “zero day” attacks to exploit vulnerabilities in Flash, Java, Windows 2000 and other programs to steal data from a target’s computer.

Indeed, malware hacking appears to be a key service sold by HBGary Federal. Describing a “spear phishing” strategy (an illegal form of hacking), Barr advised his colleague Greg Hoglund that “We should have a capability to do this to our adversaries.” In another e-mail chain, HB Gary Federal executives discuss using a fake “patriotic video of our soldiers overseas” to induce military officials to open malicious data extraction viruses. In September, HGGary executives again contemplate their success of a dummy “evite” e-mail used to maliciously hack target computers.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/2011/02/17/chamberleaks-malware-hacking/

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Can we all admit it's war, now?

[boppers]

11. People are murdered in war.

I'm not willing to call a hard drive "people".

[yourout]

2. What a bunch of slimeballs.

[annabanana]

3. It's kind of hard to overstate just how creepy this is.

I mean, You've always known they were capable of this kind of stuff, but it's unnerving to be able to see the nuts and bolts.

[SpiralHawk]

4. Republicon Family Values - an ethical cesspool

[BanzaiBonnie]

5. HB Gary failed in the first round of the computer wars

Fail..............

[shanti]

6. DU is on their radar

i'm sure...

[pam4water]

7. K&R

[blackspade]

8. scumbags

[defendandprotect]

9. ..but they wouldn't all have long ago decided to use computers to steal electdions?

[jbnow]

10. What is the deal with the patriotic film

"to induce military officials to open malicious data extraction viruses"?

I went to article but found no more on that. It is one thing if they plan on hacking liberal sites for their sick reasons/clients (and is it illegal?) but what the hell are they wanting to get from files of military officials??? What information do they want for what client
and wouldn't that be the type of illegal officials would actually do something about?

[sueh]

12. Pa-rrrety corrupt, aren't they? n/t

[Vinnie From Indy]

13. With so much coming to light about HBGary and the others,

it would seem that the FBI would be compelled to investigate. If these e-mails are authentic, it appears on the face of it that a MULTITUDE of laws were broken. These laws appear to have been broken not only by HBGary, but also by the other members of team Themis, Hunton-Williams and the Chamber of Commerce. This certainly fits the definition of a "smoking gun" I would think.

[midnight]

14. K&R I hope our justice dept. is going to file charges for "spear phishing"