h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We worry these days about the state of the world. We hope that our leaders, who have the benefit of the best educations money can buy, and more advisors than you can shake a selfie stick at, are able to keep the planet at peace, secure, and terrorist-free.

These leaders surely know how to preserve the security of the free world by storing their private deliberations - the ones that shouldn't leak prematurely and cause people to get needlessly apocalyptic - in a clean, safe, eco-friendly environment. Like behind an impenetrable firewall designed by the most paranoid programmers on the planet, right? Surely these people know better than to send emails on yahoo, or indulge in Facebook antics, like those mere mortals whose lives are on constant public display because, frankly, no one cares what they do or say?

Just when you've convinced yourself that education + high position = Smarts, along comes a hillbilly and proves you wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da6rYqI8z_4

(This Wikileak courtesy of Homer and Jethro.)

No, not THAT kind of hillbilly. THIS kind:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9mJ8ihormYi

At least, 'hillbilly' is how the 'zine translated what the Romanian prosecutor called him. Now the infamous hacker Guccifer [sheds light like Lucifer, but has more style, like Gucci?] is being extradited to the US because he annoyed Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell, and others, and caused questions to be asked and public money to be spent trying to find out who was publishing secret emails...sigh...the scandal is even getting involved in the election campaign.

Apparently, this is what Domnul Guccifer wanted: fame and recognition. Armed only with a laptop, way too much free time, and a tinfoil hat the size of all the Carpathians (he believes he has original Illuminati documents), this determined, unemployed guy from a very small place has got all the movers and shakers definitively moved and shaken.

This story should be instructive for those who think those 'security questions' that protect your passwords are kind of bogus. They are. Guccifer was able to hack into the personal emails of the former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and also an entire presidential family (thus exposing an ex-president's tragic lack of painting talent) simply by getting into the emails of a Romanian politician.

And how did he do that? By guessing which street she was born on. He knew where she went to primary school, the rest was easy...

You want to know more tips, or just read the incredible story of Guccifer? Here's an excellent interview and background piece from somebody who visited the convicted felon while he was incarcerated in Arad.

http://pando.com/2015/03/20/exclusive-interview-jailed-hacker-guccifer-boasts-i-used-to-read-hillarys-memos-for-six-seven-hours-and-then-do-the-gardening/

I spent a night in Arad once. Not in the jail, but in a truly ancient hotel. Apparently the jail is new and sounds like it might be nicer. Although the guards sound every bit as surly as the concierge I ran into.