Sunday, May 14, 2017

Did the U.S. Hack Computers in 90 Countries?

Last Friday, hundreds of thousands of computers -- infected with ransomware -- demanded the equivalent of $300 be paid to regain access to the computers.  Everything from hospitals to FedEx were affected over 90 different countries.

Cyber experts claim that the ransomware attack was based on software that was developed by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) because of "fingerprints" identified in the code for the hack.  Yet no one really believes that it was originated by the NSA and the U.S. government.  So, then, if it is possible to copy software leaving "fingerprints" behind revealing the source of the software, isn't it possible that the software left behind in the infected DNC server wasn't from the Russian government at all?  But only software that had been hijacked to make it appear as if it were Russian?   Something that Wikileaks claimed just last month.

References:

Hackers Hit Dozens of Countries Exploiting Stolen N.S.A. Tool: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/12/world/europe/uk-national-health-service-cyberattack.html?_r=0

Conspiracy theory: WikiLeaks CIA Dump Gives Russian Hacking Deniers the Perfect Ammo: https://www.wired.com/2017/03/wikileaks-cia-dump-gives-russian-hacking-deniers-perfect-ammo/

WikiLeaks says CIA disguised hacking as Russian activity | Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4367746/WikiLeaks-says-CIA-disguised-hacking-Russian-activity.html

Microsoft Claims Stolen U.S. Government Computer Code Fuels Cyberattack: https://www.wsj.com/articles/microsoft-complains-state-hacking-tools-fuel-cyberattack-risks-1494803026

Cyber attack latest: Vladimir Putin blames US for hack as thousands more computers hit by ransomware: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/05/15/nhs-cyber-attack-latest-authorities-warn-day-chaos-ransomware/

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