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Comment by randomname2 | Hacker News Reader

How does this square with the generally accepted view [1] it was the Russian security services?

[1] http://motherboard.vice.com/read/guccifer-20-is-likely-a-rus...

I would look at the motive. State actors will use the information for economic and security benefit, not broadcast to the world. A guy who wants attention, to be thought of in the same vein as Assange and Snowden, will announce it to the world.

Plus, I think if the system was as easy to access (via $1.5k 0day hack purchased online, and was disabled via reboot on June 12th), then I think lots of other people had access, including state actors. I don't think they would announce it to the world, just quietly use the information.

Also, I don't think Guccifer wants to influence the election, as he seems to have an impoverished understanding of the facts. I think he just wants to show off.

As for a coverup? I don't think it would be as loud or as prolonged as this (Streisand effect). It seems there is even more forthcoming info, too.

That article seems to be mostly speculation, though. Maybe Guccifer is a Russian, but not affiliated with the Russian government (aka Putin aka Ivan the Terrible).

But apparently this is The Cold War 2.0, and whenever Russians may be involved, this means that the Russian government is involved...

It would appear that different people wrote different parts of this. The English goes from fluent to almost Google translatese ("inside the network to stay stealth.") in talking about the actual hack. This would suggest that an organization or at least multiple people were involved.

https://twitter.com/pwnallthethings/status/74848214296815616...

“Let’s spell this out,” Rid said. “We have a foreign intelligence agency that is picking sides, that is doing a sophisticated hack and influence operation in support of the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party in the US general elections. That’s craziness, if that’s actually the case.”

Yeah, having foreign intelligence agencies interfere in sovereign elections does suck.

Some of do not agree with the generally accepted view.

https://medium.com/@jeffreycarr/the-dnc-breach-and-the-hijac...

I have this conversation with people often. They think I am an obnoxious IT guy, but I think we love reaching for convenient answers.

Both sides, lone wolf or Russian state sponsorship, I don't seem off. Both extremes are easy win for easily placated minds, so I worry when I feel myself just gravitating to them.

That being siad, it saddens me when reputable infosec people (by their own measure) use Medium. Haha.

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