Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Did the NSA get hacked?

Rick emails to point out something pretty interesting:
(NEWSER) – An apparent hacking group calling itself the "Shadow Brokers" claims to have hacked the NSA and is asking for about $570 million to share the data. Two sets of files were posted online Saturday—one open, the other encrypted—which the group claims are from the Equation Group, an advanced group of hackers believed to be working with US intelligence. The open files contain "a series of tools for penetrating network gear made by Cisco, Juniper, and other major firms," along with code words found in documents leaked by Edward Snowden, reports Foreign Policy. They are "most likely … part of the NSA toolset," an expert tells Ars Technica. But the encrypted files are "the best files," says the Shadow Brokers, which is asking for 1 million Bitcoin, currently worth about $570 million, to release them.
I have no idea whether this is legit or not, but know people who are in the "cyber weapon" business.  The encrypted file is interesting - typically the most damaging information would go there along with an automated "dead man's switch" that would release the encryption key.  If the Feds put the snatch on the perps, the information could be disclosed anyway.

1 comment:

lee n. field said...

related to Snowden's cryptic tweet the other day, I wonder.