Background In February of 2017, the magazine Computer World published the following article: A “Russian-speaking and notorious financially-motivated” hacker known as Rasputin has been at it again, hacking into universities and government agencies this time, before attempting to sell the stolen data on the dark web. According to the security company Recorded Future, which has been tracking the cybercriminal’s breaches, Rasputin’s most recent victims include 63 “prominent universities and federal, state, and local U.S. government agencies.” The security firm has been following Rasputin’s activity since late 2016 when the hacker reportedly breached the U.S. Electoral Assistance Commission and then sold EAC access credentials. Recorded Future…
Author: John Greenewald
Background The Top Officials Exercise (TOPOFF) is a congressionally mandated biennial cycle of seminars, planning events, and national exercises designed to strengthen the Unites States’ capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from large scale terrorist attacks. Every two years, the cycle culminates in an exercise that simulates a coordinated terrorist attack involving biological, chemical, radiological, or weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The exercises seek to draw the participation of top officials and key personnel from all levels of government who have domestic response and consequence management roles and responsibilities in actual terrorist events. The Department of Homeland…
Background This document had been released by the CIA, and was heavily redacted. In November of 2016, I requested a Mandatory Declassified Review (MDR) of the document, to see if more could be declassified. In December, I received a less redacted version of the record. Although it is not a lengthy document, it did succeed in getting just a bit more un-redacted, and into the public view. Document Archive Soviet Plans To Have Plane Carrying Pow’s From Hanoi Overly (sic) Laos, And To Attempt To Limit Access Of American Officials In Rangoon, 22 September 1972 [3 Pages, 1.1MB] https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/cia/EOM-2017-00069.pdf Previously…
Background According to their website, the mission statement of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is: “Enforcing the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States of America. Bringing to justice organizations – including those with ties to terrorism – and their principal members, who are involved in the growing, manufacture or distribution of controlled substances. Supporting the diligent efforts of the Special Agents who play an essential and exclusive role in contributing to our nation’s war on drugs and terrorism. Working to dismantle drug trafficking organizations, prosecute drug traffickers and destroy the financial infrastructure of these organizations. As the…
Background Voice of America (VOA) provides trusted and objective news and information in 45 languages to a measured weekly audience of more than 236.6 million people around the world. For nearly 75 years, VOA journalists have told American stories and supplied content that many people cannot get locally: objective news and information about the US, their region and the world. VOA uses the devices and platforms target markets use to connect audiences on five continents with the people, thoughts and institutions that make America unique. Behind the scenes, VOA maintains a small list of prewritten obituaries, for politicians and world…