In an astonishing lapse, Hunter Biden chose to protect his MacBook Pro computer – crammed with what an IT expert last night described as a 'national security nightmare' and 'classic blackmail material' – with a single, simple password: Hunter02.
Its existence was revealed by the New York Post last month, but the staggering scale and sensitivity of its contents – easily accessible to a hacker with a modicum of skill – is only revealed for the first time today.
The material, none of which was encrypted or protected by anything as basic as two-factor authentication, includes:
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Joe Biden's personal mobile number and three private email addresses as well as the names of his Secret Service agents; Mobile numbers for former President Bill Clinton, his wife Hillary and almost every member of former President Barack Obama's cabinet; A contact database of 1,500 people including actress Gwyneth Paltrow, Coldplay singer Chris Martin, former Presidential candidate John Kerry and ex-FBI boss Louis Freeh; Personal documents including Hunter's passport, driver's licence, social security card, credit cards and bank statements; Details of Hunter's drug and sex problems, including $21,000 spent on one 'live cam' porn website and 'selfies' of him engaging in sex acts and smoking crack cocaine;
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'It's a data breach and dangerous to have this type of material floating around,' said the former police commander, who advised successive British Foreign Secretaries on laptop security.
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'For someone prominent, there is not only a risk of great reputational damage but also a risk of blackmail should the material fall into the wrong hands.'
The revelations come just 48 hours before Americans give their verdict at the end of a whirlwind election campaign.
The revelations are said to send shockwaves through Mr Biden's campaign team, which is desperate to avoid last-minute scandals that may erode his eight-point lead shown in the polls.
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Hunter's laptop contains 11 gigabytes of material and covers the period from when Mr Biden served as Vice President under Mr Obama to when Hunter dropped it at the Mac Store in Wilmington.
Some have suggested the laptop and its contents are a hoax perpetuated by China to weaken Mr Biden.
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However, evidence seen by The Mail on Sunday appears to confirm that Hunter left the laptop at the shop and the FBI later picked it up.
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A forensic cyber expert hired to analyse material downloaded from the laptop says it is authentic.
'I have been doing this for 20 years and there is nothing to suggest the laptop or its contents have been interfered with or altered in any way,' said the expert, who has worked with US law enforcement agencies.
'There is no sign of data being added. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the real deal.'
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