A 10-year-old Could Have "Hacked" Palin's Email Account

This has been covered plenty, but there seems to be so much confusion out there that it's worth repeating. Here's how Sarah Palin's email account was compromised: someone went to her yahoo login page, clicked "forgot password" and answered the very obvious security questions required in order to create a new password. Then that person logged in.

No conspiracy, no activism, and no special computer knowledge was required. In other words, like many free web-based email accounts, there was zero security on it. That's why, and please don't take this the wrong way, it's a bad idea to use such accounts for activities such as business or running the government. I don't mean that as a criticism of Palin so much as a public service announcement. If more than, say, 100,000 people know who you are, you might want to consider taking greater security precautions.

While we're on the subject, don't go emailing your username and passwords around, or your bank account numbers, or your secret confessions to murder. Let's all say it together one more time: Email is NOT private.

Now, sure, it's terrible and illegal that some kid broke into her account. Don't think I'm in favor of this. No one likes the idea of having her privacy invaded, whether it's by the government or a band of merry pranksters like "Anonymous." I wouldn't like it myself, and I'm sure it could happen. But personally, the real reason I hope they catch whoever did it is just so Rush Limbaugh can see what kind of "thugs" he's talking about. (Not to say that the "anonymous" crowd has got no skillz – only that, as they probably know, this stunt didn't require any.) The fact that the result was a bunch of random, un-damaging, and actually kind of cute pictures being posted online should suggest that this was not some kind of professional liberal smear job. And while it might be possible to spin this into some kind of indictment of Sarah "small-town" Palin's leadership abilities, I like to think we've all got better things to do.