‘Anonymous’ hacks Syrian president’s email with ’12345' password

[kpete]

Published 01:08 07.02.12Latest update 01:08 07.02.12
Bashar Assad emails leaked, tips for ABC interview revealed
In part one of the Haaretz expose of emails leaked from the account of the Syrian president's media adviser, Assad is told, ahead of interview with Barbara Walters, that the 'American psyche can be easily manipulated.'

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/bashar-assad-emails-leaked-tips-for-abc-interview-revealed-1.411445

‘Anonymous’ hacks Syrian president’s email with ’12345? password

Unknown members of the hacker collective “Anonymous” reportedly broke into the private email account of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad this week and learned that the embattled dictator is not one much for electronic security.

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The “12345? password was not just on al-Assad’s computer: documents show it was also used by several others in the Syrian Ministry of Presidential Affairs, access by “Anonymous” this week.

Emails allegedly obtained from 78 inboxes revealed the government’s messaging strategy ahead of al-Assad’s recent interview with U.S. journalist Barbara Walters. During that interview, Walters called al-Assad a “dictator by accident” who’s really a “mild mannered ophthalmologist.”

Emails revealed by “Anonymous” showed that many of his lines were rehearsed, and that he gave canned responses about violence in the country and their refusal to allow foreign journalists in.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/08/anonymous-hacks-syrian-presidents-email-with-12345-password/

12345
???

[Fawke Em]

1. That's not hacking - that's social engineering.

Hacking is using a variety of code to break into an account. Anonymous guessed at the password, probably based on information obtained about Assad that showed he was ignorant of online security.

I know you didn't write the headline or story, kpete. I'm just pointing this out for other readers so they'll know the difference.

(I work in network security. Shhhh).

[Drale]

2. That's amazing, I've got the same combination on my luggage! /nt

[EOTE]

4. I'm surrounded by assholes!

[baldguy]

3. Anyone who uses "12345" as a password DESERVES to get hacked.

[RKP5637]

5. Yep, at least I use 54321 ... lol

[IDemo]

6. I generally use "passw0rd" or "admin"

Oops, I shouldn't have posted that on the inter-tubes. Oh well...what harm could there be?

[myrna minx]

7. D'oh indeed. That's even easier to guess than the word "password".

[frylock]

8. weak sys admin..

if others are using the 12345 password, this is likely the default password setup when creating user accounts. No 8 character minimum, no requirement of an upper-case letter, symbol, and/or numeral required, no enforcement of password expiration. weak sys admin.