Petraeus's personal email should be no more sensitive than the mailbox outside his house, which any junkie could "hack". If he put classified information on google's servers, that's a whole different problem. This is a non-issue and a distraction from the real reason why he was forced out.
That depends on what he used the e-mail address for. If it was strictly for romantic liaisons, it's no big deal. But if he used it for any other purpose (talking with his lawyer, chatting with senators, etc.), it would be a hell of a platform for social engineering attacks. In that scenario, the information in Petraeus' personal inbox is beside the point[1]; you can use the trusted address to get your hooks into something more interesting.
Comments
Petraeus's personal email should be no more sensitive than the mailbox outside his house, which any junkie could "hack". If he put classified information on google's servers, that's a whole different problem. This is a non-issue and a distraction from the real reason why he was forced out.
That depends on what he used the e-mail address for. If it was strictly for romantic liaisons, it's no big deal. But if he used it for any other purpose (talking with his lawyer, chatting with senators, etc.), it would be a hell of a platform for social engineering attacks. In that scenario, the information in Petraeus' personal inbox is beside the point[1]; you can use the trusted address to get your hooks into something more interesting.
[1] Ignoring the blackmail value of the affair.