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posted by CoolHand on Tuesday May 28 2019, @02:49PM   Printer-friendly
from the pandora's-box dept.

For nearly three weeks, Baltimore has struggled with a cyberattack by digital extortionists that has frozen thousands of computers, shut down email and disrupted real estate sales, water bills, health alerts and many other services.

But here is what frustrated city employees and residents do not know: A key component of the malware that cybercriminals used in the attack was developed at taxpayer expense a short drive down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway at the National Security Agency, according to security experts briefed on the case.

Since 2017, when the N.S.A. lost control of the tool, EternalBlue, it has been picked up by state hackers in North Korea, Russia and, more recently, China, to cut a path of destruction around the world, leaving billions of dollars in damage. But over the past year, the cyberweapon has boomeranged back and is now showing up in the N.S.A.’s own backyard.

It is not just in Baltimore. Security experts say EternalBlue attacks have reached a high, and cybercriminals are zeroing in on vulnerable American towns and cities, from Pennsylvania to Texas, paralyzing local governments and driving up costs.

The N.S.A. connection to the attacks on American cities has not been previously reported, in part because the agency has refused to discuss or even acknowledge the loss of its cyberweapon, dumped online in April 2017 by a still-unidentified group calling itself the Shadow Brokers. Years later, the agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation still do not know whether the Shadow Brokers are foreign spies or disgruntled insiders.

Thomas Rid, a cybersecurity expert at Johns Hopkins University, called the Shadow Brokers episode “the most destructive and costly N.S.A. breach in history,” more damaging than the better-known leak in 2013 from Edward Snowden, the former N.S.A. contractor.

“The government has refused to take responsibility, or even to answer the most basic questions,” Mr. Rid said. “Congressional oversight appears to be failing. The American people deserve an answer.”


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  • (Score: -1, Troll) by fustakrakich on Tuesday May 28 2019, @06:44PM (5 children)

    by fustakrakich (6150) on Tuesday May 28 2019, @06:44PM (#848605) Journal

    A district is a district. You just have to win over a different majority. And besides, why did everybody let it happen to begin with? I guess that's the nature of poor losers, blame everybody but themselves for losing. Eh, whatever, I'm tired of the same old argument.

    --
    La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
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    Total Score:   -1  
  • (Score: 2) by ikanreed on Tuesday May 28 2019, @07:04PM (2 children)

    by ikanreed (3164) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday May 28 2019, @07:04PM (#848621) Journal

    "We" already have the majority. We have a ninety fucking percent majority because they isolated all the people they could into a couple fucking districts. Do you know how gerrymandering works?

    • (Score: 0, Troll) by fustakrakich on Tuesday May 28 2019, @07:08PM

      by fustakrakich (6150) on Tuesday May 28 2019, @07:08PM (#848623) Journal

      Yep, exactly, and it's up to all of you to compensate. You simply don't have any other choice.

      --
      La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 29 2019, @06:50PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 29 2019, @06:50PM (#849027)

      "We" already have the majority. We have a ninety fucking percent majority because they isolated all the people they could into a couple fucking districts. Do you know how gerrymandering works?

      That sort of negates your complaint that your vote didn't count. Sounds like you received exactly the representation you want. I can see where the unlucky minority voters in your district might have a case for complaint.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 28 2019, @07:22PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 28 2019, @07:22PM (#848627)

    Troll

    Ah, ok! Back to this game, use moderation for lack of argument. Oh well, same old crap on a different day.

    S'alright, spring is in the air!

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 28 2019, @11:44PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 28 2019, @11:44PM (#848699)

    *sigh* The bad attitudes shown by this kind of moderation is the perfect illustration of why Trump/Clinton wins... And now, simply, the mask is off. The denial is pathological, and the derangement is directed against the messenger. Oh well, some things will never change.