Russian Hackers Stole NSA Data on U.S. Cyber Defense

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Thu Oct 5, 2017, 02:18 PM - Edit history (2)

Source: The Wall Street Journal.

Russian Hackers Stole NSA Data on U.S. Cyber Defense

The breach, considered the most serious in years, could enable Russia to evade NSA surveillance and more easily infiltrate U.S. networks

By Gordon Lubold and Shane Harris

Oct. 5, 2017 12:48 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON -- Hackers working for the Russian government stole details of how the U.S. penetrates foreign computer networks and defends against cyberattacks after a National Security Agency contractor removed the highly classified material and put it on his home computer, according to multiple people with knowledge of the matter.

The hackers appear to have targeted the contractor after identifying the files through the contractors use of a popular antivirus software made by Russia-based Kaspersky Lab, these people said.
....

https://twitter.com/glubold
[e-mail]

https://twitter.com/shaneharris

Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-hackers-stole-nsa-data-on-u-s-cyber-defense-1507222108

---

Subscription required.

* * * * *

Retweeted by David Fahrenthold: https://twitter.com/fahrenthold

OK there are a lot of major stories buried in this major story

Link to tweet

* * * * *

NEW: Russian gov't hackers exploited Kaspersky to steal highly-classified info from an NSA contractor.

Link to tweet

* * * * *

scoop: Russian hackers stole highly classified data from the NSA after a contractor stole it again. w/ @shaneharris

Link to tweet

* * * * *

The breach is considered the most serious in years and could enable Russia to evade NSA surveillance

Link to tweet

* * * * *

ETA, and it's important:

For people who didn't read anything but the title, the original incident occurred in 2015

Link to tweet

[truthisfreedom]

1. Jesus.

[mpcamb]

6. They were thorough. Didn't leave much untouched.

[burrowowl]

2. K&R

[xor]

3. That is scary on several levels.

Idiocy on the contractor's side. Lack of controls on the NSA side. Then incompetence or malicious acts by the Russian security company.

I would fault Russian hackers but they are just doing what hackers do. It is like being angry with a lion for eating a zebra.

[BigmanPigman]

4. Oh shit! When ARE we going to start thinking like THEM?

We must assume that they have tried a million different ways to continue cyber warfare. They are putting us on the defense. We had better step it up because this is WAR and they are winning. We need to be on the offense. Of course 45 wants them to win but Congress should be doing a lot more and over ride him.

[psychopomp]

5. First, this is very, very bad news

Now, I wonder how dumb this person had to be to
A: Take this very sensitive, classified intel home
B: Use Kapersky, which is widely assumed to be compromised.

[Julian Englis]

7. Mistrust of Russia is why I refused to used Kaspersky lab stuff on my computers n/t

[dalton99a]

8. And Zuckerberg loves Kaspersky

[democratisphere]

10. He would. Fakebook is a Russian propoganda perpetrator.