11-02-2011, 08:48 AM
Firm targeting WikiLeaks cuts ties with HBGary - apologizes to reporter
by Steve Ragan - Feb 11 2011, 01:55
<p> Dr. Alex Karp, the Co-Founder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, one of three data intelligence firms who worked to develop a systematic plan of attack against WikiLeaks and their supporters, has severed all ties with HBGary Federal and issued an apology to reporter Glenn Greenwald. </p><p></p><div class="article_image_center"><img src="http://www.thetechherald.com/media/images/201106/WikiLeaks_top_2.jpg" alt="Firm targeting WikiLeaks cuts ties with HBGary - apologizes to reporter. (IMG: WikiLeaks)" height="400" width="600"><p>Firm targeting WikiLeaks cuts ties with HBGary - apologizes to reporter. (IMG: WikiLeaks)</p></div><p></p> <p>The move comes just twenty-four hours after The Tech Herald reported on the plans, thanks to a tip from Crowdleaks.org </p> <p></p> <p>After the tip from <a href="http://crowdleaks.org/" target="_blank">Crowdleaks.org</a>, The Tech Herald learned that <a href="http://www.palantir.com/" target="_blank">Palantir Technologies</a>, <a href="http://hbgary.com/" target="_blank">HBGary Federal</a>, and <a href="http://www.bericotechnologies.com/" target="_blank">Berico Technologies</a>, worked together with law firm Hunton and Williams to develop a proposal for Bank of America in order to deal with the "WikiLeaks Threat."</p> <p><a href="http://www.hunton.com/firm/firm.aspx?id=5114" target="_blank">Hunton and Williams</a> were recommended to Bank of America's general counsel by the Department of Justice, according to the email chain viewed by The Tech Herald. The law firm was using the meeting to pitch Bank of America on retaining them for an internal investigation surrounding WikiLeaks.</p> <p>"They basically want to sue them to put an injunction on releasing any data," an email between the three data intelligence firms said. "They want to present to the bank a team capable of doing a comprehensive investigation into the data leak."</p> <p>Hunton and Williams would act as outside counsel on retainer, while Palantir would take care of network and insider threat investigations. For their part, Berico Technologies and HBGary Federal would analyze WikiLeaks.</p> <p>Some of the things mentioned as potential proactive tactics against WikiLeaks include feeding the fuel between the feuding groups, disinformation, creating messages around actions to sabotage or discredit the opposing organization, and submitting fake documents to WikiLeaks and then calling out the error.</p> <p>"Create concern over the security of the infrastructure. Create exposure stories. If the process is believed to not be secure they are done. Cyber attacks against the infrastructure to get data on document submitters. This would kill the project. Since the servers are now in Sweden and France putting a team together to get access is more straightforward," the proposal said.</p> <p>Moreover, reporter Glenn Greenwald, who writes for Salon.com, was singled out in the proposal as a person offering a level of support to WikiLeaks that needed to be disrupted. This disruption would include making Greenwald, and others in similar situations, choose between professional preservation and cause. </p> <p>Our original coverage on this topic can be viewed <a href="http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/201106/6798/Data-intelligence-firms-proposed-a-systematic-attack-against-WikiLeaks" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p>On Thursday evening, Dr. Alex Karp sent The Tech Herald a statement on the events and information presented in the story. </p> <p>"As the Co-Founder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, I have directed the company to sever any and all contacts with HB Gary," the statement starts.</p> <p>Dr. Karp explains that Palantir Technologies provides a software analytic platform for the analysis of data. They do not provide "nor do we have any plans to develop" offensive cyber capabilities. </p> <p>In addition, the statement says that Palantir does not build software that is designed to allow private sector entities to obtain non-public information, engage in so-called cyber attacks, or take other offensive measures.</p> <p>"I have made clear in no uncertain terms that Palantir Technologies will not be involved in such activities. Moreover, we as a company, and I as an individual, always have been deeply involved in supporting progressive values and causes. We plan to continue these efforts in the future," Dr. Karp added.</p> <p>"The right to free speech and the right to privacy are critical to a flourishing democracy. From its inception, Palantir Technologies has supported these ideals and demonstrated a commitment to building software that protects privacy and civil liberties. Furthermore, personally and on behalf of the entire company, I want to publicly apologize to progressive organizations in general, and Mr. Greenwald in particular, for any involvement that we may have had in these matters."</p> <p>Palantir Technologies' statement comes at a time when HBGary has refused to talk about the WikiLeaks proposal, or any other topic for that matter, related to the security incident caused by Anonymous after HBGary Federal's Aaron Barr went to the press claiming he had infiltrated the loosely associative group.</p> <p>The only statement from the company on the incident appeared on their website before it was fully restored. </p> <p>"HBGary, Inc and HBGary Federal, a separate but related company, have been the victims of an intentional criminal cyberattack. We are taking this crime seriously and are working with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities and redirecting internal resources to investigate and respond appropriately," the statement said at the time.</p> <p>"To the extent that any client information may have been affected by this event, we will provide the affected clients with complete and accurate information as soon as it becomes available. Meanwhile, please be aware that any information currently in the public domain is not reliable because the perpetrators of this offense, or people working closely with them, have intentionally falsified certain data."</p> <p>It is unlikely that Anonymous would forge thousands and thousands of emails or attachments. Yet, the complete severance of ties by Palantir Technologies, and the public apology to Greenwald, leaves little room for doubt that the information seen by The Tech Herald, Crowdleaks.org, and many others is legitimate.</p>
http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php...o-reporter
by Steve Ragan - Feb 11 2011, 01:55
<p> Dr. Alex Karp, the Co-Founder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, one of three data intelligence firms who worked to develop a systematic plan of attack against WikiLeaks and their supporters, has severed all ties with HBGary Federal and issued an apology to reporter Glenn Greenwald. </p><p></p><div class="article_image_center"><img src="http://www.thetechherald.com/media/images/201106/WikiLeaks_top_2.jpg" alt="Firm targeting WikiLeaks cuts ties with HBGary - apologizes to reporter. (IMG: WikiLeaks)" height="400" width="600"><p>Firm targeting WikiLeaks cuts ties with HBGary - apologizes to reporter. (IMG: WikiLeaks)</p></div><p></p> <p>The move comes just twenty-four hours after The Tech Herald reported on the plans, thanks to a tip from Crowdleaks.org </p> <p></p> <p>After the tip from <a href="http://crowdleaks.org/" target="_blank">Crowdleaks.org</a>, The Tech Herald learned that <a href="http://www.palantir.com/" target="_blank">Palantir Technologies</a>, <a href="http://hbgary.com/" target="_blank">HBGary Federal</a>, and <a href="http://www.bericotechnologies.com/" target="_blank">Berico Technologies</a>, worked together with law firm Hunton and Williams to develop a proposal for Bank of America in order to deal with the "WikiLeaks Threat."</p> <p><a href="http://www.hunton.com/firm/firm.aspx?id=5114" target="_blank">Hunton and Williams</a> were recommended to Bank of America's general counsel by the Department of Justice, according to the email chain viewed by The Tech Herald. The law firm was using the meeting to pitch Bank of America on retaining them for an internal investigation surrounding WikiLeaks.</p> <p>"They basically want to sue them to put an injunction on releasing any data," an email between the three data intelligence firms said. "They want to present to the bank a team capable of doing a comprehensive investigation into the data leak."</p> <p>Hunton and Williams would act as outside counsel on retainer, while Palantir would take care of network and insider threat investigations. For their part, Berico Technologies and HBGary Federal would analyze WikiLeaks.</p> <p>Some of the things mentioned as potential proactive tactics against WikiLeaks include feeding the fuel between the feuding groups, disinformation, creating messages around actions to sabotage or discredit the opposing organization, and submitting fake documents to WikiLeaks and then calling out the error.</p> <p>"Create concern over the security of the infrastructure. Create exposure stories. If the process is believed to not be secure they are done. Cyber attacks against the infrastructure to get data on document submitters. This would kill the project. Since the servers are now in Sweden and France putting a team together to get access is more straightforward," the proposal said.</p> <p>Moreover, reporter Glenn Greenwald, who writes for Salon.com, was singled out in the proposal as a person offering a level of support to WikiLeaks that needed to be disrupted. This disruption would include making Greenwald, and others in similar situations, choose between professional preservation and cause. </p> <p>Our original coverage on this topic can be viewed <a href="http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/201106/6798/Data-intelligence-firms-proposed-a-systematic-attack-against-WikiLeaks" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p>On Thursday evening, Dr. Alex Karp sent The Tech Herald a statement on the events and information presented in the story. </p> <p>"As the Co-Founder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, I have directed the company to sever any and all contacts with HB Gary," the statement starts.</p> <p>Dr. Karp explains that Palantir Technologies provides a software analytic platform for the analysis of data. They do not provide "nor do we have any plans to develop" offensive cyber capabilities. </p> <p>In addition, the statement says that Palantir does not build software that is designed to allow private sector entities to obtain non-public information, engage in so-called cyber attacks, or take other offensive measures.</p> <p>"I have made clear in no uncertain terms that Palantir Technologies will not be involved in such activities. Moreover, we as a company, and I as an individual, always have been deeply involved in supporting progressive values and causes. We plan to continue these efforts in the future," Dr. Karp added.</p> <p>"The right to free speech and the right to privacy are critical to a flourishing democracy. From its inception, Palantir Technologies has supported these ideals and demonstrated a commitment to building software that protects privacy and civil liberties. Furthermore, personally and on behalf of the entire company, I want to publicly apologize to progressive organizations in general, and Mr. Greenwald in particular, for any involvement that we may have had in these matters."</p> <p>Palantir Technologies' statement comes at a time when HBGary has refused to talk about the WikiLeaks proposal, or any other topic for that matter, related to the security incident caused by Anonymous after HBGary Federal's Aaron Barr went to the press claiming he had infiltrated the loosely associative group.</p> <p>The only statement from the company on the incident appeared on their website before it was fully restored. </p> <p>"HBGary, Inc and HBGary Federal, a separate but related company, have been the victims of an intentional criminal cyberattack. We are taking this crime seriously and are working with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities and redirecting internal resources to investigate and respond appropriately," the statement said at the time.</p> <p>"To the extent that any client information may have been affected by this event, we will provide the affected clients with complete and accurate information as soon as it becomes available. Meanwhile, please be aware that any information currently in the public domain is not reliable because the perpetrators of this offense, or people working closely with them, have intentionally falsified certain data."</p> <p>It is unlikely that Anonymous would forge thousands and thousands of emails or attachments. Yet, the complete severance of ties by Palantir Technologies, and the public apology to Greenwald, leaves little room for doubt that the information seen by The Tech Herald, Crowdleaks.org, and many others is legitimate.</p>
http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php...o-reporter
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"He would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies. When asked in court whether she knew that Lord Astor had denied having sex with her.
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"He would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies. When asked in court whether she knew that Lord Astor had denied having sex with her.
“I think it would be a good idea” Ghandi, when asked about Western Civilisation.