JosephMenn

Washington Post cyber reporter. Author of Cult of the Dead Cow and Fatal System Error. Joseph.Menn@washpost.com, DM for Signal etc.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/joseph-menn/

Public Key

npub1m927uxz0jh0w8e099whj7jqzll0stevhnguy0hnlf59z3wnwzvgqd324vs

NIP-05 Address

JosephMenn_at_infosec.exchange@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsdj40wrp8ethhruhjjhte0fqp0lhc9ukte5wz8mel56z3ghfhpxyqpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43qz9thwden5te0v35hgar09ec82c30wfjkcctecwygk4

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Author Public Key

npub1m927uxz0jh0w8e099whj7jqzll0stevhnguy0hnlf59z3wnwzvgqd324vs

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Last Notes

2024-09-17 19:55:30

Russian propagandists are behind a viral video that accused Kamala Harris of a fictional hit and run accident, garnering millions of views, Microsoft said in its latest election influence report. Free link to my story in the Post, courtesy of the marketing dept. https://wapo.st/47tUxJ8

2024-08-12 04:13:35

This sh*t is crazy. https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/08/nashville-man-arrested-for-running-laptop-farm-to-get-jobs-for-north-koreans/

2024-08-01 17:28:38

Bill & Ted & Vladimir & Estragon
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2024-07-29 17:29:48

Today in print. #AI #hacking #defcon #darpa
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2024-07-23 23:40:07

If you are a security company that accidentally hired a North Korean hacker, this is a good week to disclose it. https://blog-knowbe4-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/blog.knowbe4.com/how-a-north-korean-fake-it-worker-tried-to-infiltrate-us?

2024-07-19 22:10:30

My reporting so far has shown no evidence that #CrowdStrike was attacked by Russians, amoral teenagers or scary DEI monsters.
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2024-07-19 21:11:52

Free archive of our Washington Post story on #CrowdStrike causing a worldwide IT meltdown. https://archive.is/lZBu0

2024-07-17 16:51:03

Russian propaganda is blaming Biden, Ukraine and the U.S. defense industry for the attempt to kill Trump. Iran is going with antifa. China says maybe it was staged. All are having a field day with the lack of real conclusions and homegrown conspiracy theorists. This copy of story in Post is FREE with marketing caveats. #disinfo https://wapo.st/3Lq0som

2024-07-13 18:37:22

Front page. #att
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2024-06-27 17:08:49

Got pitched to meet with a “former ethical hacker.” Questions abound.

2024-06-26 18:26:14

WikiLeaks has two giant legacies: an ongoing wave of transparency sites that work with journalists and the public, and an unending wave of geopolitical influence operations that try to launder stolen documents. My WashPost story today is free for nonsubscribers who cough up an email address. https://wapo.st/4bjRvHF #wikileaks #assange #ddosecrets

2024-06-18 21:45:17

What we have here is Schrödinger’s Chomsky.

2024-06-16 20:06:20

My story on the Internet Observatory, this version optimized for the visually oriented.
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2024-06-14 17:09:47

Alex Stamos and Renee DiResta's Stanford Internet Observatory is collapsing under political pressure, the largest setback so far for realtime disinformation research. Free gift version at no expense: https://wapo.st/3RuAlA5

2024-06-02 17:37:34

I wrote about a news site whose top leaders have taken money from Iran as well as Russia, showing how it is getting harder to trace the forces behind any one false narrative. For you, it’s free. https://wapo.st/4bEeluA #disinformation

2024-05-30 20:45:43

Public service announcement: If your company has been badly breached, you may want to file your 8k this afternoon.

2024-05-29 22:22:59

Just enormous. A 19 million-node botnet, made up of home computers ensnared partly through downloads of backdoored VPNs, then rented out to criminals who netted billions of dollars by defrauding US government programs and other schemes. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/911-s5-botnet-dismantled-and-its-administrator-arrested-coordinated-international-operation

2024-05-22 22:02:00

This story deserves wider attention. Indian expatriates are being silenced in America through "transnational repression." https://www.vox.com/world-politics/24160779/inside-indias-secret-campaign-to-threaten-and-harass-americans

2024-05-20 16:39:01

Our Pulitzer-finalist series on India and U.S. tech companies, all in one place. https://www.pulitzer.org/finalists/staff-washington-post-2

2024-05-17 17:41:02

One reason people get away with trashing Signal and promoting less trustworthy Telegram is that media keep saying bad thing X happened on "the encrypted messaging platform Telegram." Except in rare instances where X was over a one-to-one secret chat, this is indefensible. Stop.

2024-05-09 17:19:34

Employees of #RSAC are outside Moscone offering free lollipops. Is trying to get people to take candy from strangers the #InfoSec lesson we want to promote?

2024-05-06 20:56:52

This just in.
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2024-04-24 20:04:04

I don't often link to the Gateway pundit, but when I do, it's for a good reason. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/04/message-gateway-pundit-founder-jim-hoft-our-readers/

2024-04-16 22:40:45

Neo-Nazis find a welcoming place to make money, spread hate and recruit on X, NBC finds. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/x-twitter-elon-musk-nazi-extremist-white-nationalist-accounts-rcna145020

2024-04-09 16:23:21

Today’s front page exclusive on Kremlin plans for U.S. disinformation.
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2024-04-02 20:12:40

SCOOP: The independent Cyber Safety Review Board will say in its forthcoming review of China hacking Microsoft that the company had cascading, avoidable errors and needs to overhaul its security culture. FREE with registration. https://wapo.st/4cJpKtW

2024-03-29 23:46:38

This series of articles on India's strong-arming Western tech companies has now been recognized by the Overseas Press Club as the runner-up for best international news coverage of 2023. https://wapo.st/4afoIo7 free with reg.

2024-03-29 20:31:50

Very sorry to learn we lost Ross Anderson. https://alecmuffett.com/article/109513

2024-03-14 14:52:07

Summer vacation, ruined. I’m number 113. https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1938555/ #Russia #sanctions

2024-03-08 22:54:11

The Russian hackers who broke into Microsoft are now going after its customers. Five Eyes agencies issue detailed instructions for beefing up cloud security in response. New from me, free with registration. https://wapo.st/3T9xhJF

2024-03-05 18:46:30

A recent European human rights court ruling that strong encryption is important for freedom might help turn the tide against on-device scanning and other efforts to stop end-to-end encryption. New by me, free with registration. https://wapo.st/48AOy4l

2024-02-22 20:47:07

Two years at The Post as of today. It's the honor of my life to work with these people. P.S. Please subscribe, it's so cheap.

2024-02-20 23:06:54

The UK worked with the U.S. and other countries to seize control of infrastructure of the world's most pernicious ransomware gang, LockBit. Epic trolling ensues. (Gift link.) https://wapo.st/3OPebYa

2024-02-16 15:29:13

Gift link. More than 100 Chinese propaganda accounts are still on X, months after their exposure by Merta and federal prosecutors. They are working to exacerbate tensions in the U.S. and denigrate both Biden and Trump, we found. https://wapo.st/3T4I0GI

2024-02-14 15:47:14

Russia, China and Iran are using Microsoft’s AI tools to hone their hacking attacks, the company says. Gift link: https://wapo.st/3UAiaeJ #infosec

2024-02-07 22:57:38

Good news, it's safe to brush your teeth again, Fortinet tells me. “To clarify, the topic of toothbrushes being used for DDoS attacks was presented during an interview as an illustration of a given type of attack, and it is not based on research from Fortinet or FortiGuard Labs. It appears that due to translations the narrative on this topic has been stretched to the point where hypothetical and actual scenarios are blurred.”

2024-02-01 20:53:26

- reply

@npub1lrv…tth9 @npub1lsl…9c2x I mean also, Masnick Inc has smaller Indian operations.

2024-02-01 16:52:58

At least 35 civilians in Jordan have been targeted with Pegasus spyware, including human rights lawyers and journalists, far more than previous known. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/01/jordan-pegasus-hacks/

2024-01-27 00:02:09

Yeah, there are going to be more SVR email breaches disclosed. Gift link. https://wapo.st/47Qi3yC

2024-01-26 01:01:29

Microsoft says more about how Russian intelligence stole its emails. Says it is notifying others. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2024/01/25/midnight-blizzard-guidance-for-responders-on-nation-state-attack/

2024-01-24 18:47:44

Brilliant reporting from 404. All your paranoid fantasies about national security use of pinpoint tracking are dead on. https://www.404media.co/inside-global-phone-spy-tool-patternz-nuviad-real-time-bidding/

2024-01-23 00:07:27

Disinformation has been killing people for years, with Covid. Ransomware has to, by hitting overloaded hospitals. Soon it will be bogus facial recognition. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/01/22/facial-recognition-wrongful-identification-assault/

2024-01-20 00:21:28

Gift link: Russian government hackers broke into Microsoft’s systems and stole executive emails. The company is already under investigation for lapses that allowed diplomats’ emails to be taken by the Chinese. My story is here. https://wapo.st/3U3Aqgl

2024-01-19 18:09:28

Another good word for this would be "evil." https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/01/fujitsu-bugs-that-sent-innocent-people-to-prison-were-known-from-the-start/

2024-01-11 18:24:11

Well this seems bad. #infosec https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2024/01/info-stealers-can-steal-cookies-for-permanent-access-to-your-google-account

2024-01-04 22:01:11

It’s so weird how multiple whistleblowers said Twitter security was terrible and then it turns out to be terrible. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-hijack-govt-and-business-accounts-on-x-for-crypto-scams/

2023-12-21 18:28:11

I am very sorry to report that this is the final edition of the free Cyber 202 newsletter from the Washington Post. It fell victim to a cost cutting initiative that has also seen the buyouts of major talents across the newsroom, including 202 authors Tim Starks and David DiMolfetta. Some cyber news will continue in the Technology 202, and subscriptions to the paper and website, which feature deep coverage by me and others, remain dirt cheap. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/12/21/year-cyber/

2023-12-11 15:19:48

Chinese military hackers have penetrated two dozen U.S. infrastructure facilities, looking to maintain access and the ability to cause disruptive attacks in case of a conflict over Taiwan, officials told me and Ellen Nakashima. Free link (with email) https://wapo.st/3RC0Nbz

2023-12-07 17:24:32

A story I worked on for months is at the top of the Washington Post homepage. Please do not read it. We are on strike today and want to show they don’t have a newspaper without us, and they don’t get us without a fair contract.

2023-11-23 20:30:22

I just won so many arguments. Even Hall & Oates can’t stand Hall & Oates.

2023-11-01 15:52:29

Happy November! You can go back to ignoring cybersecurity now.

2023-10-13 19:11:34

Exxon used hacked material in environment litigation. Watch this space. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/mercenary-hackers-stole-data-that-exxon-later-cited-climate-lawsuits-us-2023-10-12/

2023-10-09 14:29:01

The Post’s #PredatorFiles story shows that new ally Vietnam tried to hack four members of Congress and others in the U.S., including a CNN anchor. Free link to our international collaboration: https://wapo.st/3RLBRPj

2023-09-27 02:10:02

Free version of our deep dive into India’s dominance of Facebook and Twitter. https://wapo.st/3PBtyme

2023-09-24 20:16:33

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2023-09-23 17:32:41

Our story today on the successes of the GOP campaign against disinformation research. FREE. https://wapo.st/3ZvQNTF

2023-09-13 16:37:39

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/09/13/pegasus-infection-meduza-founder/

2023-09-04 19:02:17

Elon literally blaming Jews for Twitter’s collapse.
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2023-09-01 15:44:33

Gift link: European Commission study found Musk’s changes spread Russian propaganda further. https://wapo.st/3R0JiBF

2023-08-26 20:18:29

When they want a story about a Musk tweet.
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2023-08-25 16:24:22

Important story. Free version. https://wapo.st/3EbFvdb

2023-08-15 01:57:42

NEW: Chinese hack of #Microsoft cloud authentication also obtained email of at least one member of Congress. GIFT LINK https://wapo.st/3QEhjrx

2023-08-12 17:59:32

Find me at #defcon if you have a story someone doesn’t want told. #journalismisnotacrime
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2023-08-02 15:19:46

Influential hacktivist group Cult of the Dead Cow will headline Def Con next week, releasing a framework and distributed network for apps that fully encrypt files, messages and even social networking. GIFT LINK: wapo.st/3Yl9nNK

2023-07-25 16:25:34

Def Con tips
4. Leave your phone off when you don’t need it
3. Disable wifi and Bluetooth
2. Get a Covid booster
1. Wear a mask in crowds. Anonymity is cool.

2023-07-23 18:33:17

MUSK FLIPS BIRD Musk says he will replace Twitter bird logo today and Twitter brand in the future. Gift version of our story: https://wapo.st/3OrYmXA Link fixed

2023-07-05 22:59:24

A day after a bombshell preliminary injunction by a Louisiana federal judge decrying vast censorship, the State Dept. canceled meetings with Facebook to compare notes on foreign influence campaigns, sources told us at The Washington Post for this story, which is hereby gifted. https://wapo.st/3PNdi3p

2023-07-04 17:35:04

I don’t usually gift breaking news articles before the context and analysis are added. But holy moly, a preliminary injunction against Biden officials communicating with the social media companies. https://wapo.st/44snxyc

2023-06-30 15:48:48

Gift link: Russian military satellite communications provider knocked offline. https://wapo.st/3JE5tJx

2023-06-27 21:54:16

- reply

Free, free, set them free.

2023-06-26 21:17:34

The Washington Post has dropped its paywall until Thursday at midnight. If you register with an email address, you can not only read as much as you want about today's news but go back into the archives. Some people might choose to copy stories to read later. Enjoy! https://www.washingtonpost.com/

2023-06-09 14:46:21

The viral Pentagon bombing hoax two weeks ago was spread by pro-Russian social media, but also conspiracy and financial accounts. Those overlaps are especially hard to combat. Our story: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/06/09/viral-hoax-pentagon-twitter/

2023-06-06 17:13:16

Another free story! Disinformation researchers, already being harassed, are now getting hauled before Congress. https://wapo.st/42suSMW

2023-05-25 21:32:52

VPNs, what are they good for, HUH. Say it again. https://www.hackread.com/free-vpn-service-supervpn-leaks-user-records/

2023-05-24 23:06:20

Gift link: U.S. blames China for persistent breaches inside critical infrastructure in Guam. https://wapo.st/3IEZFz7

2023-05-11 14:18:32

Artificial intelligence is already making hacking attacks harder to stop. It’s going to get a lot worse. Free version of my latest: https://wapo.st/3BjTagM

2023-05-09 19:36:37

Man who bragged of assaulting women found to have been telling the truth that time.

2023-05-04 22:36:32

Former Uber security chief Joe Sullivan sentenced to probation in data breach cover-up. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/05/04/sullivan-sentencing-uber-executive/

2023-04-21 21:27:27

Propaganda from Russia, China and elsewhere gets a boost as Twitter drops media warning labels. GIFT LINK https://wapo.st/41un5yq

2023-04-16 17:40:54

A Russian agency has improved its online influence operations to the point that it claims that its hundreds of thousands of fake accounts are detected less than 1% of the time. An exclusive based on top secret documents leaked on Discord. GIFT LINK https://archive.is/JZPb1

2023-03-31 21:15:46

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/social-media-influencer-douglass-mackey-convicted-election-interference-2016

2023-03-26 14:11:15

Social network Gettr, which was led by Trump advisor Jason Miller, was secretly controlled by billion-dollar fraud suspect Guo Wengui, former employees told me. Gift link: https://wapo.st/3TS8VEo