The Developing, Disturbing Story Regarding The Hacking Of CBS's Sharyl Attkisson

[Safetyhit]

We have seen quite a few damaging stories recently regarding this administration, but the biggest may still be yet to come. As many of you know Sharyl Attkisson has been a shining light of sorts in the media, specifically because she works for left-leaning CBS but has regardless been stalwart regarding stories such as Fast and Furious and also Benghazi.

It has come to light that during her time reporting on these important stories her home computers began to act rather strangely, turning themselves off and on usually late in the night. It became so problematic that she hired someone to look into the issue and subsequently they advised her that her computers were likely being manipulated by and outside force.

Then she contacted her superiors at CBS, with whom she shared a network, and they hired a forensic investigative group. Apparently they are fairly certain who did it and are now in the process of verifying everything before making their findings public.

Keep in mind as you read and listen to this that according to the initial reports her computers were turned on, data was extracted and/or copied, other data was inserted, and then various attempts to erase all evidence of the tampering were made.


Attkisson's initial recent interview:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/06/17/cbs_news_sharyl_attkisson_on_computer_hacking_im_outraged.html


Her last night on O'Reilly:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/06/18/oreilly_interviews_attkisson_working_on_stories_that_might_hurt_the_obama_administration.html

A Washington Post Article:

“Well, um, I’m not ready to fully speak publicly about some things that have affected me because I’m trying to be methodical and careful about what I say, but there has been an issue in my house and there’s been an issue with my computers that’s gone on for quite a long time that we’re looking into.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2013/06/14/cbs-news-confirms-multiple-breaches-of-sharyl-attkissons-computer/

[Doc Safari]

Not one of us is safe.

[glocktogo]

Of course when the full story comes out, Obama will not have been aware of it until he hears it on the news like everyone else. :rolleyes:

[Traveshamockery]

She's been chasing three stories that have the individual potential to destroy Obama's presidency.

1) Fast and Furious
2) Benghazi
3) The administration's abhorrent mishandling of green energy funds

There's no doubt in my mind that Chicago on the Potomac is behind these intrusions.

[Koshinn]

It has come to light that during her time reporting on these important stories her home computers began to act rather strangely, turning themselves off and on usually late in the night. It became so problematic that she hired someone to look into the issue and subsequently they advised her that her computers were likely being manipulated by and outside force.


That right there is proof enough that the people y'all are instantly going to blame like a knee-jerk reaction for hacking her computer are actually not the ones responsible.

[THCDDM4]

That right there is proof enough that the people y'all are instantly going to blame like a knee-jerk reaction for hacking her computer are actually not the ones responsible.

Can you elaborate on this please- I am not tracking with you...

What is "proof" and "who" is it that is being blamed that you posit is not responsible exactly?

Thanks.

[Skyyr]

That right there is proof enough that the people y'all are instantly going to blame like a knee-jerk reaction for hacking her computer are actually not the ones responsible.

No, it's not. I work as a developer/programmer and could list several reasons why that would be necessary for certain high-level manipulations of an operating system. Further, once the initial entry was made, any number of third parties could have accessed it, which is not exclusive. In fact, that's a much more realistic scenario than one or two lone hackers.

[Moose-Knuckle]

She's been chasing three stories that have the individual potential to destroy Obama's presidency.

1) Fast and Furious
2) Benghazi
3) The administration's abhorrent mishandling of green energy funds

There's no doubt in my mind that Chicago on the Potomac is behind these intrusions.

I’m surprised she has not been given the old Vince Foster treatment yet, too high profile I reckon.

[Skyyr]

Can you elaborate on this please- I am not tracking with you...

What is "proof" and "who" is it that is being blamed that you posit is not responsible exactly?

Thanks.

He's implying that to cause the computer to visibly freeze and to start and restart is sloppy (although sometimes necessary), because even someone without computer experience or knowledge will note that as unusual behavior. As such, work like that is usually left to low-level / third party / "expendable asset" individuals who are distanced enough from the person/people/agencies requesting the information that they can claim plausible deniability. In other words, it would require so much obvious manipulation that you can bet that Obama and his administration never went near it and completely outsourced the job.

Or, he could be implying it has nothing to do with Obama (since Obama would have handled it with much more class *snicker*).

However, a job like this is not exclusive of any other actions. They would need her home IP address, network framework, SSID's, MAC addresses and they would need to know when she was and wasn't home, how to manually access her work network from her home network - the level of intrusion is much more than an outsourced hacking job, so any assumptions can be thrown out at this point.

[Safetyhit]

That right there is proof enough that the people y'all are instantly going to blame like a knee-jerk reaction for hacking her computer are actually not the ones responsible.


Of course, you're right. What fools we are not to realize that it must have been a couple of errant late-teen/early-twenty somethings hoping to score points with the likes of a local democratic congressman. And let us simply disregard who she was, what she was doing at those specific times and most importantly which well known and thoroughly proven anti-truth, less-than-trustworthy entity may have been severely irritated by her reporting. Obviously someone else truly unrelated to the administration really...really cared enough to go through all that, correct?

Last thing I ever want to do is come off as paranoid in a firearm forum, especially because I simply am not the paranoid type by nature. But as fast as things are changing now days these maniacs will be in the computer networks of firearm manufactures and dealers next (if they already aren't), along with political adversaries and related undesirables.

This is now some very serious shit people.

[Doc Safari]

This is now some very serious shit people.

Agreed. This does not make people want to play nice. Millions of people have been figuratively seen naked and they are pissed.

As for visibly turning on and shutting off Ms. Atkisson's computers: I'm sure someone wanted to "blink the lights" for intimidation purposes.

[Denali]

We have seen quite a few damaging stories recently regarding this administration, but the biggest may still be yet to come. As many of you know Sharyl Attkisson has been a shining light of sorts in the media, specifically because she works for left-leaning CBS but has regardless been stalwart regarding stories such as Fast and Furious and also Benghazi.

It has come to light that during her time reporting on these important stories her home computers began to act rather strangely, turning themselves off and on usually late in the night. It became so problematic that she hired someone to look into the issue and subsequently they advised her that her computers were likely being manipulated by and outside force.

Then she contacted her superiors at CBS, with whom she shared a network, and they hired a forensic investigative group. Apparently they are fairly certain who did it and are now in the process of verifying everything before making their findings public.

Keep in mind as you read and listen to this that according to the initial reports her computers were turned on, data was extracted and/or copied, other data was inserted, and then various attempts to erase all evidence of the tampering were made.


Attkisson's initial recent interview:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/06/17/cbs_news_sharyl_attkisson_on_computer_hacking_im_outraged.html


Her last night on O'Reilly:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/06/18/oreilly_interviews_attkisson_working_on_stories_that_might_hurt_the_obama_administration.html

A Washington Post Article:

“Well, um, I’m not ready to fully speak publicly about some things that have affected me because I’m trying to be methodical and careful about what I say, but there has been an issue in my house and there’s been an issue with my computers that’s gone on for quite a long time that we’re looking into.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2013/06/14/cbs-news-confirms-multiple-breaches-of-sharyl-attkissons-computer/

I know where I would begin my search,


http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2013/05/11/family-ties-the-rhodes-brothers-ben-rhodes-obamas-deputy-national-security-advisor-david-rhodes-president-of-cbs-news/


The brother of a top Obama administration official is also the president of CBS News, and the network may be days away from dropping one of its top investigative reporters for covering the administration’s scandals too aggressively.

CBS News executives have reportedly expressed frustration with their own reporter, Sharyl Attkisson, who has steadily covered the Obama administration’s handling of the Benghazi terrorist attack in Libya since late last year.

“Network sources” told Politico Wednesday that CBS executives feel Attkisson’s Benghazi coverage is bordering on advocacy, and Attkisson “can’t get some of her stories on the air.” [...]

[No.6]

^^
Well now, see there you go. She must either be paranoid because she's being singled out by CBS for going against company policy or she's just trying to drum up sympathy or notoriety since she "can’t get some of her stories on the air.” Nothing to see here. Nothing to report regarding The One's administration, all is well.

[polymorpheous]

^^
Well now, see there you go. She must either be paranoid because she's being singled out by CBS for going against company policy or she's just trying to drum up sympathy or notoriety since she "can’t get some of her stories on the air.” Nothing to see here. Nothing to report regarding The One's administration, all is well.

And this is probably the spin, (lie), they will put on the story.

[VooDoo6Actual]

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-76358486/

Journalist Michael Hastings, best known for a Rolling Stone feature that led to the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, died early Tuesday in a car crash in Los Angeles, his employer said.

Neither the Los Angeles Police Department nor coroner's officials could immediately confirm whether Hastings was the victim of a single-car crash that occurred about 4:25 a.m. in the 600 block of North Highland Avenue. Police officials said it was the only vehicle fatality reported Tuesday morning in the city of Los Angeles.

The vehicle crossed a median, struck a tree and burst into flames in the Hancock Park area, LAPD Officer Christopher No said. The driver was prounounced dead at the scene.

Coroner's officials said they could not immediately identify the victim, saying the body was burned beyond recognition. Without identification or next of kin, neither the LAPD nor the coroner's department could officially identify the body found in the vehicle.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e225/teehee321/la-me-ln-melrose-collision-20130618-001_zps0ff5bfc0.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/teehee321/media/la-me-ln-melrose-collision-20130618-001_zps0ff5bfc0.jpg.html)

[Safetyhit]

All things considered I'd say the odds are about 95% that he fell asleep at the wheel or was drunk. This of course leaves a previously unheard of 5% chance that he was targeted for retaliation by our government.

[Heavy Metal]

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-76358486/

Journalist Michael Hastings, best known for a Rolling Stone feature that led to the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, died early Tuesday in a car crash in Los Angeles, his employer said.

Neither the Los Angeles Police Department nor coroner's officials could immediately confirm whether Hastings was the victim of a single-car crash that occurred about 4:25 a.m. in the 600 block of North Highland Avenue. Police officials said it was the only vehicle fatality reported Tuesday morning in the city of Los Angeles.

The vehicle crossed a median, struck a tree and burst into flames in the Hancock Park area, LAPD Officer Christopher No said. The driver was prounounced dead at the scene.

Coroner's officials said they could not immediately identify the victim, saying the body was burned beyond recognition. Without identification or next of kin, neither the LAPD nor the coroner's department could officially identify the body found in the vehicle.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e225/teehee321/la-me-ln-melrose-collision-20130618-001_zps0ff5bfc0.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/teehee321/media/la-me-ln-melrose-collision-20130618-001_zps0ff5bfc0.jpg.html)

4:25 in the AM? Not to skewer a good conspiracy but that sounds like he was coming home late from closing time.

[jpmuscle]

4:25 in the AM? Not to skewer a good conspiracy but that sounds like he was coming home late from closing time.

Or that is what they want you to think :p


lol

[Alpha Sierra]

My money is on him being Fostered

[markm]

Yeah. Who'd have though we could look back on Vince Foster and wish our Federal Government was ONLY that ****ed up? :eek:

[NWPilgrim]

The claim that a clumsy hacking job proves it was not the administration ignores the many instances of them being clumsy in so many other covert activities: fast and furious, Benghazi, etc. they appear clumsy because they are so arrogant and so sure the media will not probe that they see no reason to put much effort in hiding their shenanigans.

Plus, a clumsy covert action is like a dead fish on your doorstep. Just like in Chicago.

[markm]

Plus, a clumsy covert action is like a dead fish on your doorstep. Just like in Chicago.

BINGO!

[Larry Vickers]

Ok I am not tracking on the 'conspiracy' part of the McChrystal piece - the guy was out of line, as well as his staff for what was said in and around a journalist and he has shown to be anti 2A with his statements after Sandy Hook - as far as I can tell he is a tool and the guy who busted him was probably shitfaced and went for a dirtnap ride early in the AM

Am I missing something?

[Skyyr]

The claim that a clumsy hacking job proves it was not the administration ignores the many instances of them being clumsy in so many other covert activities: fast and furious, Benghazi, etc. they appear clumsy because they are so arrogant and so sure the media will not probe that they see no reason to put much effort in hiding their shenanigans.

Plus, a clumsy covert action is like a dead fish on your doorstep. Just like in Chicago.

Bingo.

[Mauser KAR98K]

Ok I am not tracking on the 'conspiracy' part of the McChrystal piece - the guy was out of line, as well as his staff for what was said in and around a journalist and he has shown to be anti 2A with his statements after Sandy Hook - as far as I can tell he is a tool and the guy who busted him was probably shitfaced and went for a dirtnap ride early in the AM

Am I missing something?

No, sir. I saw that piece today and wondered how many thought it was done by the Feds. With all the truly craptastic ways major events have been handled by this administation, I can't see them successfully justifying an illegal wiretap of an Amish home.

[Safetyhit]

I'm happy to acknowledge the good man's passing here but it really has very little to do with the thread. If Ms. Attkisson suffers a similar fate or an attempt is made on her life maybe then we take it further, otherwise we are making fodder of a fatal accident.

[Renegade]

What difference, at this point, does it make?

[Moose-Knuckle]

What difference, at this point, does it make?

Hah! That should be her 2016 campaign slogan.

[Safetyhit]

What difference, at this point, does it make?



Fortunately I think we'll be hearing a lot more of that notorious question as we approach the fall of 2016. Unfortunately almost half of the country couldn't possibly care less.

Let's hope the scales tip in our favor.

[THCDDM4]

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-76358486/

Journalist Michael Hastings, best known for a Rolling Stone feature that led to the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, died early Tuesday in a car crash in Los Angeles, his employer said.

Neither the Los Angeles Police Department nor coroner's officials could immediately confirm whether Hastings was the victim of a single-car crash that occurred about 4:25 a.m. in the 600 block of North Highland Avenue. Police officials said it was the only vehicle fatality reported Tuesday morning in the city of Los Angeles.

The vehicle crossed a median, struck a tree and burst into flames in the Hancock Park area, LAPD Officer Christopher No said. The driver was prounounced dead at the scene.

Coroner's officials said they could not immediately identify the victim, saying the body was burned beyond recognition. Without identification or next of kin, neither the LAPD nor the coroner's department could officially identify the body found in the vehicle.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e225/teehee321/la-me-ln-melrose-collision-20130618-001_zps0ff5bfc0.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/teehee321/media/la-me-ln-melrose-collision-20130618-001_zps0ff5bfc0.jpg.html)

Here is a recent article I found with observations of anomalies in the car crash and speculation on it being more than an "accident"...

http://main.aol.com/2013/07/09/michael-hastings_n_3568719.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl27%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D341804

-From the article-

It all started just three days after the accident when KTLA obtained one of Hastings’ last emails. In it, he told friends he was onto another ‘big story’ and needed to go off the radar for a bit. The subject line read: ‘FBI Investigation, re:NSA’. He also reportedly contacted Wikileaks lawyer Jennifer Robinson to tell her the FBI was examining him, though the bureau later denied it.

Combine the atypical denial with the fact that he died 12 days after Edward Snowden’s first leak, right in the thick of a massive government scandal, and you have the makings of a potential conspiracy. Even without the email, that’s enough for some to consider this fishy -- and his final message is hardly the only suspicious thing about this story.

Kimberly Dvorak of San Diego 6 recently investigated some of the wrinkles in this case, and uncovered a particularly disturbing missing detail in the process. Hastings' Mercedes-Benz reportedly plowed into a tree on a four-lane road, but authorities didn't find any skid marks. That means he didn’t use the brakes. Or maybe it means he couldn’t.


And lest you think this is simply the purview of wingnuts, former U.S. National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection and Counter-Terrorism Richard Clarke revealed a scary, but relevant, tidbit in an interview with the Huffington Post.

Clarke contended that, ‘[t]here is reason to believe that intelligence agencies for major powers -- including the United States -- know how to remotely seize control of a car.’ A 2010 research project by the University of California at San Diego and the University of Washington Engineering Department confirmed that such a thing is technologically feasible. Eerily enough, AOL Autos reported on that very trend the day before Hastings’ death. Clarke claims it would be nearly impossible to trace, even if the ensuing fire didn’t destroy all traces of the equipment in question.

In fact, at least one witness says that he heard a couple of explosions before the car crashed. When police arrived the scene, they encountered an intense blaze. That’s atypical for gasoline, which generally doesn’t burn as hot as footage from the scene suggests. Dvorak reached out to Mercedes for a statement only to discover that the automaker is still waiting for the LAPD’s call almost three weeks after the accident.

And the anomalies keep on coming. The engine and drive shaft were found over 100 feet away from the wreck -- in the wrong direction. All signs point to Hastings going extremely fast, which means the debris should have been found in front of the car. There's no official hypothesis as to how this happened, and Dvorak reports that officials have been specifically ordered not to comment on any of it.

-End article snippet-

Will be interesting to see more information released on this one...

[jpmuscle]

Has anything more come out on this yet?

[Safetyhit]

I've seen two updated interviews where she clarifies in even greater detail what was altered and likely copied from her computer. She again very clearly implies it was related to her reporting stories the administration was uncomfortable with.

By far the most interesting aspect was her tense, overly-cautions demeanor. It seemed to almost go beyond not wanting to divulge information her attorneys deemed classified and into a sense of genuine fear. Take that as drama if you will but I'm telling you she is fearful of something.

[Belloc]

Here is a recent article I found with observations of anomalies in the car crash and speculation on it being more than an "accident"...

Will be interesting to see more information released on this one...


http://www.lewrockwell.com/2013/07/robert-wenzel/how-the-pentagon-murdered-michael-hastings/

[THCDDM4]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/08/22/michael-hastings-asked-to-use-neighbor-car-night-his-death-report/?cmpid=prn_aol

-Snippet from Article-

Hours before dying in a fiery car crash, Rolling Stone journalist Michael Hastings told his neighbor he believed his Mercedes had been tampered with, according to a report.

Hastings, a swashbuckling war correspondent known for taking on powerful figures, had told several friends he believed the government was watching him in the weeks before his death on June 18 in Los Angeles. But in a lengthy profile by LA Weekly, Hastings’ neighbor Jordanna Thigpen says he knocked on her door after midnight and asked to borrow her Volvo because he was afraid to drive his own car.

"He was scared, and he wanted to leave town," she told the weekly newspaper. She declined, saying her car was in need of repairs.

Thigpen had become friends with Hastings after the writer, known for his coverage of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, moved into her apartment building overlooking Hollywood. She said Hastings' behavior grew “increasingly erratic” and that he thought helicopters circling over their building were there to keep a watchful eye on him.


-End Article snippet-


So the plot thickens...

[Sensei]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/08/22/michael-hastings-asked-to-use-neighbor-car-night-his-death-report/?cmpid=prn_aol

-Snippet from Article-

Hours before dying in a fiery car crash, Rolling Stone journalist Michael Hastings told his neighbor he believed his Mercedes had been tampered with, according to a report.

Hastings, a swashbuckling war correspondent known for taking on powerful figures, had told several friends he believed the government was watching him in the weeks before his death on June 18 in Los Angeles. But in a lengthy profile by LA Weekly, Hastings’ neighbor Jordanna Thigpen says he knocked on her door after midnight and asked to borrow her Volvo because he was afraid to drive his own car.

"He was scared, and he wanted to leave town," she told the weekly newspaper. She declined, saying her car was in need of repairs.

Thigpen had become friends with Hastings after the writer, known for his coverage of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, moved into her apartment building overlooking Hollywood. She said Hastings' behavior grew “increasingly erratic” and that he thought helicopters circling over their building were there to keep a watchful eye on him.


-End Article snippet-


So the plot thickens...

Apparently the guy was a meth addict; hence the paranoia - meth will do that to you.

[rocsteady]

This is obviously just another "phony scandal" as I am sure the skeetshooter will inform us shortly.

The only other plausible explanation is that it is because of an illegal gun. -the administration

[ThirdWatcher]

... Hours before dying in a fiery car crash, Rolling Stone journalist Michael Hastings told his neighbor he believed his Mercedes had been tampered with, according to a report...

Would you drive your car (w/o having it inspected) if you really thought it "had been tampered with"? :confused: