Hackers commandeer Missoula judge’s Facebook campaign page
Martin Kidston
(Missoula Current) Missoula's reelected Justice of the Peace woke on Election Day to check her campaign page on Facebook, only to find that it was hacked, leaving her unable to administrate the site.
Landee Holloway, who was first elected to the judicial post in 2016, won her latest race by a healthy margin. But on Election Day – and with the vote tally still uncertain – losing access to her campaign page was the last thing she was looking for on an already stressful day.
“During an election, you check all your social media right away. But all of a sudden, it wasn't listed as an option on my profile. I didn't have any administration to my site anymore,” Holloway said.
A double check by her husband confirmed the issue: The site had been hacked and commandeered by Lizard Soft Inc. The group, allegedly located in Ukraine, “is now responsible for this page,” the site reads.
According to an AI search, the company specializes in AI product development, workflow automation, outsourcing, tech support and licensing.” It's also listed as a registered general corporation in California.
But even there, “This California entity … may be related to the Ukraine-based Lizard Soft, but the official site and business descriptions focus on the Ukraine operations.”
Facebook was unable to resolve the issue, Holloway said.
“I spent a little time trying to lodge a complaint or report with Facebook about a hacked page. But you get caught in the whole AI circle of 'there's nothing we can do.' There's never anyone you can get a hold of at Facebook, not a real person, it seems.”
According to Hacked.com, Facebook accounts are an easy and juicy target for attackers. They can identify data, reach a trusted audience within seconds, and can at times contain other information like ad accounts and connected apps.
It may also happen more often than not. Security experts report thousands of takeovers daily, making such incidents an ongoing security concern.
“I think it makes us a little more vulnerable,” Holloway said. “I'm going to keep trying to fight it – try to find the right avenue or right person. But you get caught in a loophole. I'm hoping no negative posts will be made out there.”
While reaching an employee at Facebook to help navigate such problems may be a stretch, the company said it takes “account access very seriously.” If a page is hacked, Facebook suggests the owner submit a recovery form.
“We'll take a look and update you by email,” Facebook notes on its help center. “We aim to reply within a day, but some reviews may take longer.”
While nothing nefarious has yet come of the hack, Holloway said losing access to one's own account is unnerving.
“People get their information from so many different places. So I didn't think Facebook would have an impact on the outcome of my election at all,” Holloway said. “I just wasn't able to do a general thank you to the people who've been following us and sharing information for the last few months.”