Though some argued that minimal attention was paid to Tuesday’s 10th anniversary of the Iraq War, Gawker did not ignore the date. To celebrate, the media and gossip blog published former President George W. Bush’s private email address, inviting readers to “let him know that you’re thinking of him today.”
The invasion of the Bushes’ privacy began last month, when a hacker known as “Guccifer” broke into six email accounts, including those of George H.W. Bush; George W. Bush’s sister, Dorothy Bush Koch; and family friends. Guccifer then leaked the stolen emails and photographs to The Smoking Gun, a website that publishes shocking or obscure public information. Among the materials were emails about the senior Bush’s hospitalization, private contact information, and images of George W.’s newest hobby.
According to the Washington Post, Gawker’s John Cook found George W.’s email address in a screenshot published by Guccifer.
More recently, Guccifer leaked confidential memos from “longtime confidant” Sidney Blumenthal to Hillary Clinton regarding the September 11, 2012 attacks in Libya, The Smoking Gun reported. Instead of dispersing the original email attachments, the hacker copied them and reformatted them using the font Comic Sans and a pink background.
However, internet security experts say Guccifer’s hacking techniques are not “alarming or unique,” the Houston Chronicle reported. Jim Harper of the CATO Institute told the Chronicle that it was only a “notable incident because it does affect a notable family and notable people.” Guccifer’s method of obtaining log-in information and using it to connect to other accounts is “fairly common.” Watch out!
