Powell was unaware that his account had been illegally accessed until he was contacted yesterday by a reporter. A spokesperson said that Powell has regained control of the account and has “taken precautions” to keep it from again being compromised.

 

Known as “Guccifer,” the hacker accessed Powell e-mails about financial and personal affairs as well as his correspondence with a wide array of former government officials, including ex-CIA Director George Tenet, former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, and John Negroponte, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

In response to a TSG e-mail asking how the Powell hacks were accomplished, “Guccifer” replied, “these are irrelevant extraneous technical questions.”