Why David Petraeus’ usage of private Gmail accounts was a security risk

sssquid says:  How was it logical? That’s f#(&(@& stupid. The guy just had sex with someone else. No reason for him to lose his job. So stupid and immature.

» SFB says: You know, instead of reading way too deeply into my spare usage of a cliche, consider that he likely created a major security risk by communicating anonymously via Gmail, as the Washington Post notes:

If Petraeus allowed his Gmail security to be compromised even slightly, by widening access, sharing passwords or logging in from multiple addresses, it would have brought foreign spy agencies that much closer to a treasure trove of information. As the Wall Street Journal hints, investigators were concerned about Petraeus’s Gmail access precisely because of the history of foreign attempts to access just such accounts.

While the accounts may not have contained any personal information about him, Max Fisher notes in his report that “access to the account could have provided telling information on, for example, Petraeus’s travel schedule, his foreign contacts, even personal information about himself or other senior U.S. officials.” — Ernie @ SFB