Note:
In late 2016,
on this blog,
I rejected the
"Russian
hackers stole
DNC e-mails"
narrative
because
the Democrat
National Committee
would not allow
the Obama FBI,
which was
very friendly
to Ms. Clinton,
to examine
the DNC servers
and computers.
CrowdStrike
had been hired
in late April 2016
( or early May )
to stop an alleged
unauthorized
intrusion into
Democrat
National
Committee
computers.
Over 30,000 emails
were taken from
a DNC server,
between May 22 and
May 25, 2016, and
given to WikiLeaks.
How the data
were obtained
is still a mystery.
WikiLeaks claimed
the data were from
a DNC insider,
handed to them
on a flash drive.
CrowdStrike said
the data were
transferred by
Russian hackers.
If that was true,
it is a mystery
why CrowdStrike
waited until June 10,
to disconnect
the DNC server,
if they
allegedly knew
on May 6, 2016,
that Russians
had entered the
DNC network?
The only
logical answer
for that delay
was that CrowdStrike
believed the data theft
was really an inside job,
not a Russian hack
CrowdStrike
provided the
"Russian Hackers"
narrative to the
American public.
That seemed to be
designed for
Hillary Clinton
to counterattack
Donald Trump --
with the false claim
that Trump was
"colluding"
with Russians
to beat Hillary !
Some Democrat,
most likely
Hillary Clinton,
or her campaign,
created that false
Russian collusion
narrative.
In reality, the
location of any
hackers, assuming
there was a hack,
is nearly impossible
to determine
unless the hackers
are caught in the act --
which no one has
ever claimed
for the DNC.
CrowdStrike's
narrative has
always been
inconsistent,
and hard
to believe.
Contradictions and
inconsistencies
were identified
in four places:
(1)
Ellen Nakashima's
Washington Post story,
(2)
Vicki Ward's
Esquire story,
(3)
The Mueller Report, and
(4)
The blog of CrowdStrike
founder Dmitri Alperovitch):
There have even been
inconsistent statements
on the date CrowdStrike
was hired by the DNC:
April 30,2016, or
May 6, 2016.
CrowdStrike
claimed it knew
within 24 hours
that the “Russians”
were responsible for
the “intrusion” into
the DNC network.
But CrowdStrike
officials told the
Washington Post’s
Ellen Nakashima
that they were,
“not sure how
the hackers got in”
and didn’t
“have hard evidence.”
On the same day that
Nakashima’s article
was published in
the Washington Post,
a blog posting by
CrowdStrike’s founder,
Dmitri Alperovitch,
claimed the intrusion
into the DNC was done
by two separate Russian
intelligence organizations,
using malware identified
as Fancy Bear (APT28),
and Cozy Bear (APT29).
But Alperovitch
admits his team
found no evidence
the two Russian
organizations
were coordinating
their “attack”,
or even knew
of each other’s
presence on the
DNC network.
DNC sources
claim the hackers
gained access to
the entire database
of opposition research
on GOP presidential
candidate Donald Trump.
DNC sources
and CrowdStrike
claimed the intruders,
“read all email and chat traffic.”
DNC officials also insisted,
“that no financial, donor
or personal information
appears to have been
accessed or taken.”
CrowdStrike states,
“The hackers stole two files.”
WikiLeaks published
DNC emails in July 2016,
that show the last message
taken from the DNC
was dated May 25, 2016.
They had much more
than “two files.”
The DNC emails posted
on the WikiLeaks website,
and the metadata, show
the emails were removed
from the DNC server
starting late on
May 22, 2016.
The last file moved
was late in the morning
( Washington, DC time )
of May 25, 2016.
According to
Ellen Nakashima:
CrowdStrike is not sure
how the hackers got in.
The firm suspects they
may have targeted DNC
employees with
“spearphishing”
emails.
These are fake
communications
that appear legitimate
— often made to look
like they came from
a colleague, or
someone trusted
— but they actually
contain links,
or attachments,
that when clicked on,
will deploy very
malicious software
that enables a hacker
to gain access
to a computer.
“But we don’t have
hard evidence,”
Alperovitch said.
Assuming that Russians
did it, is not the same
as PROVING that claim,
based on evidence.
But assuming is exactly
what CrowdStrike did.
Dmitri Alperovitch’s
blog posting
describing the
Fancy Bear
and Cozy Bear
“intrusions”
failed to mention
the malware used
was not unique,
nor proprietary,
to Russia.
Other countries
and hackers
have access to
APT28 malware,
and have used it
in the past.
Dmitri Alperovitch's
conclusion that
"the Russians did it"
is not supported by
the forensic evidence.
He relies on the
false assumption
that the presence of
APT28 and APT29
malware proves
Russians were
involved.
That's just
a wild guess
to make the
CrowdStrike
company look
smart.
CrowdStrike later
traded on its fame
in the alleged DNC
hacking investigation,
and became a publicly
traded company.
The Obama FBI
accepted the
CrowdStrike
explanation
without demanding
forensic evidence.
Former FBI Director
James Comey,
and former NSA
Director Mike Rogers,
both testified
under oath,
before Congress,
that neither agency
ever received access
to the DNC server.
The FBI requested
direct access to the
Democratic National
Committee’s (DNC)
hacked computer
servers, but was denied,
Director James Comey
told lawmakers.
The bureau made
“multiple requests
at different levels,”
according to Comey.
The American public
deserves more than
a questionable
narrative created
by one company,
hired by the DNC,
that quickly created
the "Russians did it"
narrative ... that
Hillary Clinton
immediately
weaponized
to attack opponent
Donald Trump's
character !
