More computers stolen at Democratic Headquarters in Ohio

[melissinha]

Looked in your forum, can't find this... looks like the Lucas County Burglary in October. Sounds alot like Watergate.

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=6765
COLUMBUS - Thieves targeted the Ohio Democratic Party Headquarters this week, stealing a computer and a high-tech communications gadget belonging to party chairman Denny White.
Police said yesterday one or more burglars appeared to have climbed a wall Monday and crawled through an unlocked second-story window overnight at the party headquarters about three blocks from the Statehouse. The break-in occurs at a time when the Ohio Republican Party is threatened by one of the largest scandals to hit the state’s government in decades.

Some Democrats also say the break-in is eerily similar to a burglary at the Lucas County Democratic Party Headquarters last fall, in which three computers were stolen.

These two burglaries are very similar
the Lucas County Burglary and the recent State HQ burglaries reported stereos and expensive equipment were left untouched:

Lucas County Headquarters TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION: Two other computers, holding less sensitive information, were untouched, as were a petty cash box that usually holds $80 to $100, televisions, portable radios, and other electronics. Moreover, other offices inside the building, 1817 Madison Avenue, were not entered.

Ohio State Headquarters in Columbus last week: a portable stereo sat on a desk, and a few Sony Vaio desktop computers with flat panel monitors remained untouched.

Follow up about Lucas County Burlgary and possible repurcussions...
Richard Hayes Phillips Ties Lucas County Burglary to Voting Irregularities
http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/2004/12/richard-hayes-phillips-ties-lucas.html

[bushisanidiot]

1. Repukes don't know how to play fair. They can't win without cheating

it's in their blood.

[AmandaRuth]

2. oh for petes sake

recommend this - get it on the greatest page and let people know

[whatever4]

4. Good point, agreed! Done nt

[whatever4]

3. This just keeps getting better and better

I hope they keep up with the thefts. That, as much as anything else, can illustrate to the American people that something fishy is going on. Keep on stealing those computers, go ahead, see what good it does! HA! They've having trouble containing the evidence. Love it.

[melissinha]

5. Keep in mind GOP offices

Have been suffering burglaries... from what I understand...

HOWEVER, the Lucas County Burglary and the recent State HQ burglaries reported stereos and expensive equipment were left untouched.
Lucas COunty: Two other computers, holding less sensitive information, were untouched, as were a petty cash box that usually holds $80 to $100, televisions, portable radios, and other electronics. Moreover, other offices inside the building, 1817 Madison Avenue, were not entered.
Ste HQ: a portable stereo sat on a desk, and a few Sony Vaio desktop computers with flat panel monitors remained untouched.

I just can't see how these can be disregarded as third rate burglaries.

[whatever4]

6. yes, I agree

Leaving the cash around was a pretty silly thing for a bugler to do. What they should have done, hell I shouldn't even say this, give them ideas...they should have just trashed the place, and left everything. Made it look like a hateful crime of vandalism.

I'm guessing they were too worried that, even if they attempted to wreck the computers, experts would still be able to retrieve data. As they would be able too; they must have their computer wienie's on this case, to have known that. Must be why they didn't go for that tact. Aside from burning the place to the ground, I don't see how they could ensure the information was destroyed. I'd say, watch for fires next.

Seems like hacking would have been the simplest; guess those computers aren't hooked up to the net, not accessible from the outside. Hmm all they had to do was get a virus-laden disk into the system, but instead, they stole them. Of course, a virus could render the systems useless but they could still be sources of information, same as with vandalism.

Yeah, I think taking them was the only other option to total building destruction. With burning, they were probably still to unsure ALL data would be destroyed.

You know, come to think of it, that must be some pretty damning data. If breaking in was seen as a better option than vandalism or computer crashing, or even burning it to the ground. Wonder if they have backups. Dems should jump on this; if there are any OTHER computers with such potentially damaging info; OFFSITE BACKUPS!! Back that data up, and move it SOMEWHERE ELSE. Now would be a good time.

[melissinha]

8. backups

From what I understand, the potential purpose for obtaining this data was to take information regarding the most heavily Democratic precincts in order to conduct other voter suppression tactics. The burglary gave the thieves exclusive possession of two months’ worth of Democratic voter canvass records. It allowed them to target specific wards and precincts for voter suppression operations, and left the Democrats unable to prevent it.

One of the ladies at the Lucas County HQ said they intended to backup monthly but were too busy with the actual canvassing and registration efforts to do so. Barbara Koonce, the office manager, said information on her computer had not been backed up since August. “I try to do it at least once a month, but we've been so extremely busy here, it's not the first thing on our minds,” she said. UM the security of the actual elections isn't important?

Now... this may sound mean but WHAT THE HELL are people who KNOW THESE elections are CRUCIAL.. not backing up stuff at least WEEKLY? Besides, even the implications of local politics demand that there be some security alarms....

I sure hope they learn their lesson. My boyfriend who is an IT support guy at UTexas is always working on making sure people have backups and making their servers secure from breakins... you 'd think local HQ would ... what am I thinking? That among many other things is the problem within the party.. they need to secure their information.... I think even local elections would require this security of information...

[Tigress DEM]

16. Hope the Ohio DEMS have seperate Backups done somewhere.

So what do you think the Repukes are afraid that the Ohio DEMs had on those machines?

Is it the clear cut case that the bozo didn't win anyway because Ken Blackwell stole the election for him?

[skids]

7. So, at what point...

...do our wonderful party leaders start taking data security a little more seriously? I mean, I know the article doesn't get into whether the data was protected, but I'm guessing not.

How many times does this have to happen before they wake up and start encrypting? Has the national leadership done anything to encourage high security at local offices?

[melissinha]

9. Exactly

You are EXACTLY RIGHT.
I mean beyond voter rights bills and the like... the information they have is precious and as we see in this case... crucial.

This is something that the local HQ need to take seriously, something they can be personally involved with.

Wonder if this is one of Deano's issues.. I know he's out there trying to gather grassroots support, but this is a chink in the grassroots level.

Furthermore... we've gotta do this for Andy!

[WLKjr]

10. I have a solution to this problem

no more desktop equipment in the HQ, laptops will be carried by the person issued one at all times, servers, databases, etc. will be stored in multiple locations, with multiple mirrors and very secure.



ah hell, am I the only one who thinks like this? I hope not.

[melissinha]

11. Valid question

Very valid question.. or even just carry around the hard drive or flash drive with the info.

[Tux]

20. Flash drives

They now make flash drives with great encryption. If it's set just right, it would require a good supercomputer to break through. For a desktop, the info would be worthless by the time they got to it. Dems should use those for everything and use a server for back-ups in a secure location preferably underground in a vault.

[On the Road]

13. Laptops More Secure?

They can be left on a subway or restaurant, and are more easily carried and concealed. Breaking and entering not always required.

[Tigress DEM]

19. You can lock them in a safe... shackle them to your wrist....

It could work. Still the point is, the DEM office in Ohio is a target, so stuff there definately isn't safe.

[SoCalDem]

14. Or a round the clock guard/security cam that transmits to a different

location.. That way even if they find the camera, their image is stored elsewhere..

This is so ridiculous..

[Tigress DEM]

17. How many IT DEMS out there think the same thing?

Not even worrying about break ins, but sensitive information should be guarded and backups done regularly. So easy for things to go wrong, much harder to get it right anyway.

[johannes1984]

12. It's just a step by step play

where we're going to have to learn how low they go , and protect ourselves from that .But still it makes you realize what kind of scum sucking flatulent crackers them fuckers really are .It's one thing to be as crooked as a kremlin judicial agent , it's another to do it so overtly .Guess they're getting desperate .

Powerbooks for all , I'ld say .

[Ian David]

15. Note to Democratic Party: Invest in booby-trapped DECOY COMPUTERS

By "booby-trapped" I do not mean rigged to explode.

I mean plant computers in your own offices that have:

1) Location tracking software.
2) Hidden bugs and listening devices in them.
3) Hard drives with false information on them.
4) Devastatingly horrific Trojan Horse programs and spyware software.

And then just wait for some bonehead to steal one from you.

[Tigress DEM]

18. Smile! You're on Candid Moments with the Rethuglicans!

Special guest tonight is ...

"Karl Rove!" Karl feels he is above the law, beyond reproach and because he got outed on that whole CIA thing is trying to get in good with the boss. So he's moonlighting on a simple black ops mission to hijack computers from the Ohio DEMs office.

Little does he know that there is a hidden mike and camera in the computers he is attempting to steal. Not to mention they aren't actually real computers in the strictest sense. All the innards containing sensitive information have been swapped out and replaced with old pig iron and underneath the thick mahogony desktop is a massive magnet and the desk itself is bolted to the floor. Karl will need an industrial crane to get this computer out of the room and if he goes that far, he'll get about 8 feet of the floor space as well, which will set off the sprinklers and trigger a silent call to the fire department and the police.

Let's watch and see how he does.

[suneel112]

21. There was Watergate, where the tapes just have information...

...those computers probably intercepted (by accident of retardican programmers) some Kerry votes that were on their way to the Recycle Bin. The Republicans are the only party that continues to brutalize minorities, including the 5 percent of computers that support Democrats.

Another reason to hate computers... :argh:

On election day in 2006, everyone should stop using the internet to prevent those damn republicans from using your computer to cast a vote for them. Heck, we're all interchangeable machines :) </sarcasm>