# Oh those Russians... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 7, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-those-russians/781647 "2017-03-07T21:12:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-those-russians/781647/1 "2017-03-07T21:12:41Z")
I wonder how this can be used to attack Trump? [Russian Hackers Said to Seek Hush Money From Liberal Groups](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-06/russian-hackers-said-to-seek-hush-money-from-liberal-u-s-groups) “Russian hackers are targeting U.S. progressive groups in a new wave of attacks, scouring the organizations’ emails for embarrassing details and attempting to extract hush money, according to two people familiar with probes being conducted by the FBI and private security firms. … At least some groups have paid the ransoms even though there is little guarantee the documents won’t be made public anyway. Demands have ranged from about $30,000 to $150,000, payable in untraceable bitcoins, according to one of the people familiar with the probe.” ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-those-russians/781647/2 "2017-03-07T21:22:47Z")
The fact that Trump knows all about it but isn’t saying anything? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-those-russians/781647/3 "2017-03-07T21:50:08Z")
Where are they getting untraceable bitcoins? Is this a new thing, to replace the old-style bitcoins that were designed to be the most traceable currency ever? ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-those-russians/781647/4 "2017-03-07T22:19:09Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > I wonder how this can be used to attack Trump? If the attacks are coming from Russian government sources[sup]1[/sup] and if they are solely targeting groups that are critical of Trump[sup]2[/sup], then it’s not unreasonable to question why the Russians are continuing to take action to assist Trump. Asking this question and investigating the issue is not necessarily an attack on Trump. Why would Trump and his supporters _not_ want to clear up questions about apparent Russian efforts to attack Trump critics? If Trump came out and said, “This is unacceptable and we’re going to get to the bottom of it and respond appropriately” then there would be no reason to “attack Trump” for it. Has he done that? Or has he instead encouraged Russia to attack his political opponents? 1. As the article says, attribution of attacks is notoriously difficult. While I would not be entirely surprised, I withhold judgement on whether these attacks are the work of the Russian government. 2. While only left-leaning groups have been reported to be the victims, I’m cautious that maybe these are the only ones we’ve heard about. It may be that other groups have been targeted. If they are attacking _everyone_, then it’s less clear that it helps Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-those-russians/781647/5 "2017-03-07T22:25:56Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > I wonder how this can be used to attack Trump? He’s pro-Russia, is denying that Russia has any hacking ability, denies that they have hacked the US, and Russia seems to be attacking Trump’s enemies? I’m not seeing this as a particular difficult stone to throw. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-those-russians/781647/6 "2017-03-07T22:45:23Z")
The Russians (like some other countries) have no qualms about using irregular means of arranging things in the world to suit their own best interests. What did I just hear yesterday, about a certain country (not Russia) trying to hack into North Korea’s missile launch system? Oh, wait, here it is: > **[The US has been conducting a secret cyberwar against North Korea's nukes —...](https://www.businessinsider.com/us-hack-north-korea-missile-system-2017-3)** > > "If you think that war is possible with a given state, you're going to be trying to prepare the battle space ... In the internet age, that means hacking." ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2017, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-those-russians/781647/7 "2017-03-08T00:02:21Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > While I would not be entirely surprised, I withhold judgement on whether these attacks are the work of the Russian government. Somehow I doubt the “Russian government” is so hard up for funds that it is scrounging for a few thousand $ from U.S. leftist groups. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2017, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-those-russians/781647/8 "2017-03-08T00:34:45Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > I wonder how this can be used to attack Trump? By posting it? Maybe I’m not seeing your intent here, but pointing out how the Russian government is attacking Trump’s political opponents isn’t the ringing endorsement of Trump you seem to feel it is. Some of us think the President being a Russian puppet is a bad thing. > [@Okrahoma](#): > > Somehow I doubt the “Russian government” is so hard up for funds that it is scrounging for a few thousand $ from U.S. leftist groups. Good, because it’s so much better if the Russian government is infiltrating our country for political reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2017, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-those-russians/781647/9 "2017-03-08T00:34:57Z")
I can’t imagine what embarrassing things progressive groups could do fit to get blackmailed for ? Like targeting Quaker peace groups or Anti-Nuclear Weapons groups… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2017, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-those-russians/781647/10 "2017-03-08T00:39:45Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > The Russians (like some other countries) have no qualms about using irregular means of arranging things in the world to suit their own best interests. > > What did I just hear yesterday, about a certain country (not Russia) trying to hack into North Korea’s missile launch system? Oh, wait, here it is: > > [US Has Been Conducting a Secret Cyberwar Against North Korea's Nukes - Business Insider](http://www.businessinsider.com/us-hack-north-korea-missile-system-2017-3) He’s crazy as a shithouse rat but I’m pretty sure Kim Jong-un is opposed to foreign cyber-attacks on the country he runs. It’s a sad commentary when I’m not sure I can say the same thing about Donald Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2017, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-those-russians/781647/11 "2017-03-08T06:19:49Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > If the attacks are coming from Russian government sources[sup]1[/sup] and if they are solely targeting groups that are critical of Trump[sup]2[/sup], then it’s not unreasonable to question why the Russians are continuing to take action to assist Trump. Asking this question and investigating the issue is not necessarily an attack on Trump. Why would Trump and his supporters _not_ want to clear up questions about apparent Russian efforts to attack Trump critics? If Trump came out and said, “This is unacceptable and we’re going to get to the bottom of it and respond appropriately” then there would be no reason to “attack Trump” for it. Has he done that? Or has he instead encouraged Russia to attack his political opponents? > > 1. As the article says, attribution of attacks is notoriously difficult. While I would not be entirely surprised, I withhold judgement on whether these attacks are the work of the Russian government. > > 2. While only left-leaning groups have been reported to be the victims, I’m cautious that maybe these are the only ones we’ve heard about. It may be that other groups have been targeted. If they are attacking _everyone_, then it’s less clear that it helps Trump. If you are looking for motives don’t overlook the fact that is left leaning groups that have been attacking Russia for months. I think it’s entirely possible that this would be nothing more than (lucrative) retaliation non-government hackers, I’ve seen similar scenarios before. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2017, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-those-russians/781647/12 "2017-03-08T06:50:43Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > If you are looking for motives don’t overlook the fact that is left leaning groups that have been attacking Russia for months. I don’t usually do this but do you have a cite for that?