Palin E-Mail Break-In Suspect Indicted By Federal Jury <http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/Palin-E-Mail-Break-In-Suspect-Indicted/story.xhtml?story_id=0200028E9EBC>http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/Palin-E-Mail-Break-In-Suspect-Indicted/story.xhtml?story_id=0200028E9EBC
By Frederick Lane October 8, 2008 1:46PM A federal grand jury in Knoxville, Tenn., has indicted David Kernell, a 20-year-old University of Tennessee student, on one count of breaking into the personal Yahoo e-mail account of Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Kernell faces up to five years and a $250,000 fine for accessing Palin's e-mail. [] David Kernell, a 20-year-old University of Tennessee student, was indicted Tuesday by a Knoxville, Tenn., federal grand jury on one count of "intentionally and without authorization access[ing] a protected computer by means of interstate communication." Kernell is accused of breaking into the personal Yahoo e-mail account of Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Upon hearing of the indictment, Kernell turned himself in to authorities. At an arraignment, he pled not guilty and was released on bond. According to the Associated Press, a trial is set for Dec. 16. If convicted, Kernell could serve up to five years in prison and be fined a maximum of $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release. A spokesperson for the Sen. John McCain-Palin campaign described the incident as "deeply troubling" and "a blatant violation of the law." "We are certain that the proper authorities will pursue justice," McCain-Palin spokesperson Tracey Schmitt said, "and send a clear signal to reassure all Americans that their personal e-mail accounts cannot be hacked into with impunity." Easy Break-In The indictment charges that Kernell gained "unauthorized access" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] on Sept. 16 by using Yahoo's password-recovery tool to reset Palin's password. According to a posting on the image-sharing site 4chan.org, which has since been attributed to Kernell, it only took about 45 minutes of research to guess the answers to Palin's secret security question (Wasilla High, where she met her spouse). The account has since been deleted. "Once defendant Kernell established control over the e-mail account by changing the password," the indictment alleges, "he read the contents and made screenshots of the e-mail directory, e-mail content, and other personal information." Those screenshots were posted to 4chan, along with Kernell's explanation of how he gained access. "The personal information included," the indictment continued, "and was not limited to, other e-mail addresses of family members, pictures of family members, at least one cell-phone number of a family member, the dates of birth of Governor Palin and another family member, and Governor Palin's address book for her Yahoo e-mail account." Quick Investigation As easy as the break-in may have been, tracking down a suspect was even easier for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The identity used by the individual who posted to 4chan was virtually identical to a Yahoo e-mail account linked to Kernell. And as the 4chan blog posting said, the hacker went through just one anonymizing <http://www.cio-today.com/accuserve/accuserve-go.php?c=8203>server<http://www.cio-today.com/accuserve/accuserve-go.php?c=8203> before attempting to access Palin's account. It did not take the FBI long to persuade the server's operator to open up the IP logs, which led them to Kernell's residence. In a raid the weekend of Sept. 20-21, the FBI seized a variety of materials from Kernell's home. Based on a forensic examination of those materials, the indictment alleges that Kernell "removed, altered, concealed and covered up files on his <http://www.cio-today.com/accuserve/accuserve-go.php?c=8388>laptop<http://www.cio-today.com/accuserve/accuserve-go.php?c=8388> computer" in an effort to conceal his activities. The hack of Palin's e-mail account has garnered heightened attention because it comes in the midst of a hotly contested presidential election. Kernell is the son of Tennessee State Rep. Mike Kernell, a Memphis Democrat and chairman of the House Government Operations Committee. However, Rep. Kernell has said he was not involved in the break-in. <*}}}>< <http://www.holypostage.com/>Holy Postage ~ Share your faith <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.flickr.com/groups/holypostage/>Holy Postage on <http://www.flickr.com/groups/holypostage/>Flickr <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://holypostage.mofuse.mobi/>Holy Postage on your Mobile <*}}}>< Holy Postage ~ Share your faith <http://holypostage.mofuse.mobi/> Lord, may everything we do begin with Your inspiration and continue with Your help, so that all our prayers and works may begin in You and by You be happily ended. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. <*}}}>< <http://www.holypostage.com/>Holy Postage ~ Share your faith <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.flickr.com/groups/holypostage/>Holy Postage on <http://www.flickr.com/groups/holypostage/>Flickr <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://holypostage.mofuse.mobi/>Holy Postage on your Mobile <*}}}>< Holy Postage ~ Share your faith --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Please note that I do not send or open attachments sent to this list. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Catholics on Fire" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Catholics-on-Fire May the blessing of Jesus and our Blessed Mother be with you -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
