Alfa Bank threatens researcher with CFAA suit over DNS request data tied to Trump

[MelissaB]

Russian bank threatens researcher with CFAA suit over DNS request data

In a document obtained by CyberScoop, Alfa Bank notified Indiana University computer researcher L. Jean Camp that it’s pursuing “all available options” after Camp’s research suggested the bank engaged in some form of communication with the Trump Organization. Washington-based law firm Kirkland & Ellis sent the letter on the bank’s behalf on March 17.

Among the options listed is litigation under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act’s civil action provision, which allows companies to sue for damages in the event of unauthorized computer access. Foreign entities can bring cases to U.S. federal courts under a CFAA provision that allows private causes of action.

Camp’s research has pointed to Alfa Bank’s servers making an unusually high amount of DNS lookups to Trump Organization servers, particularly during a period of time in the summer of 2016. The possible connection was first revealed in October by Slate, but the bank claimed the most likely explanation was spam marketing due to bank executives’ use of Trump hotels.

More: https://www.cyberscoop.com/alfa-bank-l-jean-camp-donald-trump-cfaa-suit-dns-data/

[tazkcmo]

1. Funny

Isn't it funny how many of these previously reported Shit Gibbon/Russia articles (This one, Manafort?putin?oil field, Flynn, Page etc)are beginning to resurface as more and more of the dots get connected and the steady drip drip drip of more dots appearing...I personally am loving it.

[KittyWampus]

2. Good luck with that. LOL

[shraby]

3. If they're claiming spam because of use of the hotels, those communications would be

going TOWARD the banks computers, not toward the trump tower. That's the usual way that advertising goes. To the prospective customer.