OUR PICKSNightmare of the National Public Data Breach | Infiltrating the Far Right | Three Cheers for the Military Industrial Complex, and more
· The Slow-Burn Nightmare of the National Public Data Breach
Social Security numbers, physical addresses, and more—all available online. After months of confusion, leaked information from a background-check firm underscores the long-term risks of data breaches
· In JD Vance’s Backyard, Conspiracy Theories About Migrants and Voting Abound
A far-right plank on immigration that is rooted in a baseless theory has found purchase among Republicans and right-leaning independents in parts of Ohio
· How a Far-Right Takeover of Georgia’s Election Board Could Swing the Election
The unelected body that shapes voting rules has a new conservative majority who question the state’s 2020 results. They now have new power to influence the results in 2024
· Secret Service Finds Protecting Trump Is Extraordinarily Challenging
Trump’s team has complained in the wake of an assassination attempt that earlier requests for additional resources had been denied, while agency officials say he receives a heavier level of security than any other former president
· Infiltrating the Far Right
The threat from domestic terrorism is rising, but, with Republicans decrying the “deep state,” the F.B.I. is cautious about investigating far-right groups. Vigilantes are leaping into the fray
· Three Cheers for the Military Industrial Complex
The decline of the much-maligned military-industrial complex has rendered the once mighty America highly vulnerable
· US Intelligence Officials Say Iran Is to Blame for Hacks Targeting Trump, Biden-Harris Campaigns
The hacking and similar activities, federal officials said, are meant to sow discord, exploit divisions within American society and possibly to influence the outcome of elections
The Slow-Burn Nightmare of the National Public Data Breach (Lily Hay Newman, Wired)
Data breaches are a seemingly endless scourge with no simple answer, but the breach in recent months of the background-check service National Public Data illustrates just how dangerous and intractable they have become. And after four months of ambiguity, the situation is only now beginning to come into focus with National Public Data finally acknowledging the breach on Monday just as a trove of the stolen data leaked publicly online.
In April, a hacker known for selling stolen information, known as USDoD, began hawking a trove of data on cybercriminal forums for $3.5 million that they said included 2.9 billion records and impacted “the entire population of USA, CA and UK.” As the weeks went on, samples of the data started cropping up as other actors and legitimate researchers worked to understand its source and validate the information. By early June, it was clear that at least some of the data was legitimate and contained information like names, emails, and physical addresses in various combinations.
The data isn’t always accurate, but it seems to involve two troves of information. One that includes more than 100 million legitimate email addresses along with other information and a second that includes Social Security numbers but no email addresses.
In JD Vance’s Backyard, Conspiracy Theories About Migrants and Voting Abound (Jazmine Ulloa, New York Times)
Paul C. Pauley views himself as a middle-of-the-road Republican — who also just happens to believe in one of the most pernicious far-right conspiracy theories about illegal border crossings: that Democrats are bringing undocumented immigrants into the country to vote for their party.
“I don’t think they’re going to get that vote this year,” said Mr. Pauley, who sells evergreens on a family farm near Warren, Ohio. “But four years from now? Eight years from now?”
Former President Donald J. Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, are pushing the idea to mobilize supporters based on fear of what they call a foreign “invasion.” But demographers and population studies experts say that there is no evidence for the claim. It also strains even the imagination, envisioning Democrats in Washington circumventing border rules, officials and infrastructure to allow undocumented immigrants into the country, help them settle and then cast ballots, legally or not.
