Romanian hackers took over D.C. surveillance cameras just before presidential inauguration

[NightWatcher]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/romanian-hackers-took-over-dc-surveillance-cameras-just-before-presidential-inauguration-federal-prosecutors-say/2017/12/28/7a15f894-e749-11e7-833f-155031558ff4_story.html

Romanian hackers took over two-thirds of Washington, D.C.'s outdoor surveillance cameras just before President Trump's inauguration, according to a federal criminal complaint unsealed Thursday.

The January attack affected 123 of the D.C. police department's 187 outdoor surveillance cameras, leaving them unable to record for several days. Two Romanians, who law enforcement officials describe as part of a bigger extortionist hacking group, are being charged in D.C. federal court with fraud and computer crimes.

"This case was of the highest priority due to its impact on the Secret Service's protective mission and its potential effect on the security plan for the 2017 Presidential Inauguration," a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu said in a statement.

Hey guys, um can we lock our shit down a tad better. Reading this story it says they were unable to record anything from the cameras for several days. We need to secure our computer infrastructure!!!

[lapfog_1]

1. a whole bunch of presidential assassination / kidnapping movies

start just like this.

Can't believe the Secret Service didn't react more visibly at the time.

[fescuerescue]

4. The people that you see

Aren't the ones who react to that sort of thing. In fact they don't react to much at all except active shooters or other lethal threats and then they REALLY react (visualize the attack on Kennedy or Reagan)

The people that you see are ones standing near the President, with the earpiece and scanning the crowds. They are focused on crowd threats.

The ones you don't see, who are in c&c centers were certainly reacting. But there are no cameras there.

Beyond that, the secret service doesn't talk much about what they do.

[Baitball Blogger]

2. Did they also take down du?

[NightWatcher]

3. Nah, it wasn't organized, just a 400 lb dude in his basement...

I bet the admins here could tell an interesting story, but for reasons not known to us, have decided it's better to not. They addressed it briefly after we got back live. For all we know, there's a file on Mueller's desk that addresses it.

[nitpicker]

5. Link to the DoJ PR

https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/two-romanian-suspects-charged-hacking-metropolitan-police-department-surveillance-cameras