Angry in the Great White North

The fake email sent out today is silly:

But the fact that the email was sent out in the first place is not.  The distribution list used is the one that journalists sign up to in order to stay abreast of events and statements from the prime minister.

Whoever did this had a pretty good idea of how information is organized with regards to media contacts.

So people understand, the servers themselves are under the control of the PCO, not the PMO, and no doubt the investigation is focused there, at least inasmuch as the possibility of a server being hacked from the outside.

Could this be an office prank gone bad?  A joke email sent to the wrong distribution list?  I'm told that this is being treated as a breach of security, either by someone inside the PCO, or by an outside agent who was able to hack into the system.

As Stephen Taylor is reporting, the email originated in Winnipeg.  That might suggest an outside agent hacking into the server (or remotely logging in using a legitimate account and password, but then sensitive servers typically require VPN access, and that leaves a trail).

This is not being treated as a silly mistake, and people are convinced that this was malicious.

Malicious, but also sort of stupid.

If someone had the ability to send out fake emails, why send one out that was so utterly unbelievable?  Canada as the 51st state?  Destroy health care?  Jelly beans?  It seems to me that more mischief could have been achieved if the content of the email was believable, but still embarrassing in some subtle way.

As it is, I have no doubt security has come down hard on the email system, and the perpetrator has fired his one single shot.

It was a dud.

On the other hand, when the government IT people find out who did this, I bet there won't be anything silly about what happens next.

Backtracking the IP address: Allegedly the email originated at IP address 142.161.178.253.  Doing a reverse DNS lookup, we find this mail server also serves up exactly one other domain, 3dprimate, the home of 3D animator Daniel Robertson.  Robertson works out of Winnipeg as a "Stand up Comic, Improviser, Digital Animator, Violinist, Jack of all trades, Master of None, Hacker, Software Pirate, Techie, Trekkie, Star Woid, Freelance Mercenary, Technocrat."

I wonder if the RCMP is calling on Mr Robertson right this minute.  Of course, we ought to assume that Robertson's computer was also hacked, and he's just an innocent bystander.

Funny Dan: Apparently Dan knows how to build servers.  I'm not convinced he had anything to do with this.  Unless this was an attempt at "performance art" by someone upset the art funding adjustments (he also calls himself a film director). 

Funny Conservatives: From his standup act:

Sometimes you get really out there, right-wing bumper stickers.  Like I have a friend who is so conservative, man, that whenever we go to Hooters, he eats the right wings first.

Not a political guy: From his blog:

The thing about politics that makes me want to throw up meals I haven't even eaten yet is this simple rule of public speaking: Why tell people the truth and have them be upset with you when you can just tell them what they want to hear and have them love you and carry you off on their shoulders.

That's the thing about wool over your eyes, It's warm and fuzzy and after a while it feels like home.

Wool doesn't make your eyes sting quite as much as tear gas. but in the end, the desired result is the same.

It's really better this way if you think about it.

Not a fan of politicians, is he?  Of course, it is just as likely that this is entirely a red herring.