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Dan Goodin of Ars Technica writes about a newly-discovered hacking platform recently revealed by Kaspersky.
They are labeling the operators 'Equation Group,' and multiple zero-day exploits in the malware kit appear to be related to those which were used by Stuxnet to hack Iran's Natanz nuclear facility in 2010. It is by far the most advanced malware ever discovered, going so far as to flash malicious firmware on the hard disks of no fewer than 12 vendors. Much of the malware was distributed through usual channels such as Java vulnerabilities or ad networks, but it was even found on CDs which were mailed to attendees of a conference in Houston in 2009 which were intercepted and modified to deliver the malicious payload.
The sophistication of the operations and the malware itself leave little doubt that Equation Group is is a state-sponsored organization. The scariest part of it might be that the operation is over 14 years old and unfortunately, much of the malware is yet to be reverse-engineered. Kaspersky has been reaching out to white hats for further assistance in determining the nature and capabilities of the software.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Thexalon on Tuesday February 17 2015, @04:24PM
I'd say, at minimum, to be involved in a crime you must:
1. Be aware that it is happening.
2. If you are obligated to report that it is happening, fail to do so (unless you are coerced into remaining silent e.g. by threats to your life or family).
3. If you are not obligated to report that it is happening, take some sort of action that supports the criminal undertaking (again, unless you are coerced into that action).
For example, I'd consider it extremely unlikely that the vast majority of people who work for the Department of Agriculture had anything to do with this crime, and thus should be held blameless for it. And those involved solely because they pay their taxes or vote are absolved either by not knowing about it (almost everybody) or being coerced into it because the IRS can take your stuff at gunpoint if you don't pay your taxes (everybody else).
"Think of how stupid the average person is. Then realize half of 'em are stupider than that." - George Carlin
(Score: 3, Funny) by DECbot on Tuesday February 17 2015, @06:37PM
I see where this is going....
I'd say, at minimum, to be involved in a crime you must:
1. Be aware that it is happening.
2. If you are obligated to report that it is happening, fail to do so (unless you are coerced into remaining silent e.g. by threats to your life or family).
3. If you are not obligated to report that it is happening, take some sort of action that supports the criminal undertaking (again, unless you are coerced into that action).
4. ???
5. Profit!
cats~$ sudo chown -R us /home/base
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Nobuddy on Tuesday February 17 2015, @07:29PM
Reporting the government's criminal activity is a crime.
(Score: 1) by art guerrilla on Wednesday February 18 2015, @01:23AM
"1. Be aware that it is happening."
uh oh, that has several bad, bad, bad results:
1. so, as long as the eee-vil is distributed enough so that each participant has only a teeny, tiny piece of (ambiguous?) eee-vil to do, then everything is jake ? ? ? no, i don't think so...
2. so, as long as the eee-vil is buried deep enough, covered up enough, or otherwise goes unnoticed, then we are cool ? ? ? no, i don't think so...
also, i guess it is hardly unexpected, but the original poster who make the flippant and hyperbolic comment OBVIOUSLY not meant to be taken TECHNICALLY seriously, has spawned a bunch of 'but what about a file clerk sorting form 12Q-stroke-Z-dash-49's, are they eee-vil ? ? ?' well, i don't know, maybe form 12Q-stroke-Z-dash-49 is the form which gets you on the extra-judicial ASSASSINATION list, but they don't know that... are they still 'doing eee-vil' ? ? ? (see above)
i think the larger point they were making (AND i feel is getting to the point of validity), is EVERYONE working in the gummint becomes guilty by association of furthering a vast kriminal enterprise (AKA Empire)... i mean, people who are nobodies in real organized crime/mafia scenarios are 'just as guilty' as those who do the actual hits, isn't that how the 'law'' treats them ? ? ? why shouldn't ALL gummint employees be subject to that same line of thinking: they are KNOWINGLY associating with a vast kriminal konspiracy, so it doesn't matter if they are delivering coffee and donuts for them, they are 'just as guilty', richtig ? ? ?