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Indictment in Hacking of Palin’s E-Mail

October 9th, 2008
By JOE WINDISH, Technology Editor

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The indictment was handed down Tuesday and charges that Kernell reset the password on Palin’s e-mail account to obtain access to it, then posted the password in a web forum. Wired:

At least one other person successfully used that password to gain unauthorized access to Palin’s account. The indictment does not identify that individual.

The indictment says that once [20-year-old Tennessee student David] Kernell became fearful of a law enforcement investigation against him, he “removed, altered, concealed and covered up” files on his laptop computer.

If convicted of the charge, Kernell faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a three year term of supervised release.

G4’s Attack of the Show asked former-hacker, Kevin Mitnick, about the case:

Kernell pleaded not guilty.



This entry was posted on Thursday, October 9th, 2008 at 8:17 am and is filed under Legal Matters, Sarah Palin, Internet, Technology, Politics, 2008 Elections, Law & Legal Matters. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Viewing 15 Comments

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    First post of G4 video here at TMV, I think! Excellent.

    Re: Kernell . . . They are making an example of him.

    I gather there is some doubt whether the indictment can be made to stick. Regardless, he and his family are facing hefty legal fees for his alleged hack.

    If Palin actually did become VP, the kid would be a martyr . . . and he could easily pay the fees off with sales of "Free Kevin" T-shirts, to be worn by politically aware stars like Scarlett Johansson on the Tonight Show.

    But...according to the polls...this is unlikely. Thus, the kid is being made an example not to mess with America's leaders. (Fortunate for Bush that he doesn't use a computer. :)

    (Mitnick made an interesting point. I wonder if people HAVE tried to hack Obama's/McCain's sites or email in this cycle, and this has not been publicized?)
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    Another East Tennessean makes the news...
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    That's what we call a Kernnell panic....Unix propellerheads will get that...


    and Scooter Libby, who had endangered national security by outing a CIA agent walks free.

    hmm....well at least OJ is finally going to jail. There is hope for the world.
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    2 weeks vs 6 years and running!

    Its amazing how quickly the wheels of justice turn when the target is one that can make Democrats look bad before an election. Now how long have the Abramoff and Duke Cunningham investigations been dragging on?
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    Actually, Kritt, I don't think the DOJ response is "political".

    The cases you cite are standard govt. corruption...complicated cases, in which wheels grind slowly.

    In the Kernell case, he targetted a candidate for one of the highest offices in the United States. I think they are coming down fast and hard to make an example of him so that similarly inclined hackers or scrip kiddies will think twice before trying to hack Obama's or Biden's or McCain's net presence.

    Thus, while this kid clearly had a political agenda...I would argue the DOJ's response is appropriately apolitical.
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    Maybe the "ditsy" Palin wouldn't have a hacking problem if she didn't use a personal location?event as a password. I doubt if Obama uses his mothers name as a password. The kid in Tn didn't use spyware or some technical method, he guessed that Palin isn't very bright. On top of that she was using an email source that lacks robust security, use your head former sports caster.
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    So let me get this straight,

    Palin is making an example out of a 20-year old kid goofing around in the internet and letting people access her boring email account, meanwhile Palin herself is presiding over rallys where death threats are being whipped up against Obama?

    *Jots in notebook*
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    Marlowe-

    You may be right about the DOJ-in the Kernell case-- but I refuse to believe that the wheels have not been slowed in the government's corruption cases against those involved with Abramoff and Duke Cunningham. There was evidence that Abramoff had extensive contact with the WH-- but that has been suppressed. There has been extensive turnover in the prosecutions of both cases-- and as we had Gonzales at the helm of the DOJ, the length of these investigations gives cause for suspicion. For example--- the higher ups in Tom DeLay's office who ended up working for Abramoff were indicted early- yet DeLay himself has been under "investigation" for more than 3 years???
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    Rudi...yah, Palin was none too bright in that regard. Passwd recovery is a big security hole.

    But legally that argument doesn't carry much weight. By analogy, if one leaves one's door unlocked . . . and someone walks in and steals one's stereo . . . then that is not theft and the police, by your argument, have no responsiblity to investigate or press charges?

    The kid did some research, and got in. Presumably, Sen. Obama has a more complicated passwd. But then a better hacker could do more research, get some brute force passwd cracking warez, and get into Obama's acct. I don't think the law cares about how complicated it was to achieve an illegal objective.

    I gather the indictment focuses in particular on the fact that the kid posted Palin's passwd on another site, inviting people to repeat/aggravate his actions.

    Again, I think the DOJ moved fast because this is Palin. Were it Rudi or Kritt, they would be yawning. I think they would have done the same had it been a better hacker who used a brute force method to get Obama's passwd.

    One cannot have hackers messing with impunity with potential leaders of the most powerful country on earth. Sends a bad message.
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    Kritt...I recall there were some convictions or something in the Cunningham case last week?

    But what you say is true in general, I think. Realistically, I would imagine many attorneys loathe to delve deeply into such cases, as they can be career enders. After all, one may take down corrupt pols . . . only to have their friends with long memories remember you. I imagine Fitzgerald, who is now going after the Ill Gov. and Chicago pols in the Rezko business, as he did the BushCo pols in the Palme business, has pissed off an astonishing number of people. He is fortunate to have a high enough profile that his enemies cannot take vengeance for the moment.

    Perhaps this is a cynical perspective on my part. But you have a point about how these things grind on very very slowly.