This is just too amusing not to share.
Todd Shriber, the communications director for U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), went to attrition.org in September looking to hire a hacker or two for a fairly straightforward task: he wanted someone to break into Texas Christian University’s computer system and change his grade point average. That’s not the funny part.
The funny part is the desperation Shriber showed, and what he was willing to do to hire people for the task.
The communications director for Montana’s lone congressman solicited the services of two men he falsely believed to be criminally minded hackers-for-hire — with the expressed goal of jacking up his college GPA — during an exchange that spanned 22 e-mails over two weeks this past summer.
Todd Shriber, 28-year-old press aide to U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., e-mailed the security Web site attrition.org on Aug. 9, writing: “I need to urgently make contact with a hacker that would be interested in doing a one-time job for me. The pay would be good. I’m not sure what exactly the job would entail with respect to computer jargon, but I can go into rough detail upon making contact with a candidate.”
After initially denying knowledge of the exchange, Shriber told me this afternoon in the final of our three phone conversations: “I did something that’s greatly out of character for me and it’s a mistake that I regret.”
As a Slashdot post noted, it’s hard to say what was the dumbest part of all of this: “(a) contacting Attrition in the first place, (b) using a real name Yahoo email address or (c) speaking at length about what he needed?” (thanks to R.M. for the tip)
The two “hackers” who decided to avoid the criminal work and string Shriber along had entirely too much fun with the poor schmuck. At one point, they asked Shriber to recognize exactly what he was requesting, and take certain steps to ensure their safety:
“First, let’s be clear. You are soliciting me to break the law and hack into a computer across state lines. That is a federal offense and multiple felonies. Obviously I can’t trust anyone and everyone that mails such a request, you might be an FBI agent, right? So, I need three things to make this happen: 1. A picture of a squirrel or pigeon on your campus. One close-up, one with background that shows buildings, a sign, or something to indicate you are standing on the campus. 2. The information I mentioned so I can find the records once I get into the database. 3. Some idea of what I get for all my trouble.'”
You wouldn’t believe the picture Shriber sent; Josh Marshall has a copy.
The whole story reads like a convoluted Carl Hiaasen novel, except general those seeking to commit a crime aren’t this dumb.
Shriber is a communications director. When the FBI comes by his office for a chat, it’ll be a great test of his ability to spin.