FBI Recovers WhatsApp, Signal Data Stored on Michael Cohen’s BlackBerry

Post by ohtwenty » Sat, Jun 16, 2018, 6:54 AM UTC

bilbo0s wrote: post #43

MilnerRoute wrote: post #11

Manfort [not Cohen, as I originally wrote, but Manafort] had his message stored on iCloud. That turned out to be part of how the FBI was able to recover them so easily. https://gizmodo.com/paul-manafort-learns-that-encrypting-mes...

"...Cohen's messages were stored on iCloud..." ??? Your comment had me struggling to determine how one could store WhatsApp messages on iCloud. (From a Blackberry no less.) But then I followed your link. I don't think that article was about Cohen. You may want to change your post. On an equally important note, why is it that people out there assume that ANY form of electronic communication is impervious from governme…

Post by akhilcacharya » Sat, Jun 16, 2018, 7:11 AM UTC

boomboomsubban wrote: post #102

steve_musk wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Was there another smartphone platform he could have used at the time that would have been less work to secure? A secure smartphone for the President seems well worth the effort.

I don't know what their preferred phone was at the time, but they were unwilling to go through the same effort for the Secretary of State, instead offering her a choice of non-BlackBerry phones.

Post by gonesilent » Sat, Jun 16, 2018, 7:22 AM UTC

kasey_junk wrote: post #84

mirimir wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are many security researchers who could do that. Even I know the basic issues to address, even if I don't know all of the implementation specifics.

Name one company you could call up and ask “hey I’m doing some dirt that might get me inestigated by the feds, can you secure my comms?” And they’d say yes. Now name one that an average attorney could find. I’m not picking on you, I’m serious. I have a couple of people I might ask, but if expect most of them to say “no thanks”

Post by endorphone » Sat, Jun 16, 2018, 7:50 AM UTC

mirimir wrote: post #47

Damn, you'd think that someone at that level would pay for better OPSEC support. But then, I guess that I'm not surprised. Blackberry does have a reputation, not at all deserved at this point. I'm pretty sure that the President's phone is just as poorly secured. Probably less, from what I've read.

Post by _up » Sat, Jun 16, 2018, 8:25 AM UTC

Alex3917 wrote: post #81

boomboomsubban wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This issue is huge in politics. The entire Clinton personal e-mail scandal was essentially her unwilling to give up her BlackBerry, something Obama was unwilling to give up too. These people learned how to use some technology decades ago, and will continue using it no matter what other issues it causes.

> The entire Clinton personal e-mail scandal was essentially her unwilling to give up her BlackBerry The main scandal was her violating FOIA. There were some additional security concerns, but her running on a platform of undoing civil rights era legislation was the bigger issue.