Shadow Brokers, the organization responsible for leaking stolen NSA hacking tools back in March 2017, is back and has posted an update message on Steemit. In this message, an individual claims to be a member of the said hacker group and has taken credit for the havoc reeked by the WannaCry(pt) ransomware attack that was part of the previous data dump leaked by them.
In the same jibberish rant, it has also been mentioned that the hacker group is now planning to follow a monthly data dump cycle. And that’s not all because they claim that the previous dump was just a minor demo. They’re now threatening to sell these hacking tools, which are way more dangerous and lethal. Shadow Brokers assert that they have access to hacking tools which can break and gain access to the world’s most used computers, mobile and browsers.
The hacker group started off by mocking the security practices of TheEquationGroup (read as NSA). It then turned the direction of its taunts towards Microsoft, saying that the Redmond giant is blaming the intelligence agency for not fessing up money to protect these vulnerabilities from being leaked out in the open. The Shadow Brokers member further says that Redmond is upset due to the bad PR surrounding the global shutdown caused by the WannaCry ransomware, which affected 2 lakh Windows PCs in around 150 countries.
In the blog post, Shadow Brokers mention that they’re taking a stern approach towards fighting the cybersecurity practices across the globe — and they think leaking sensitive data is the best option to do so. They’re planning to release more NSA hacking tools in June, offering access to them to anyone willing to pay. This includes a cohort of zero-day vulnerabilities in some of the well-known web browsers, network routers, phone handsets and Microsoft’s latest operating system — Windows 10.
However, the most surprising info bundle up for the offer, as mentioned in the message, will have to be the compromised network data from Russian, Chinese, Iranian, or North Korean nukes and missile programs. If Shadow Brokers have access to this data set then the sale of such high-profile data could put not only the of the government but the netizen also at risk. This data dump is also said to carrying information on banks using the SWIFT international money transfer network.
The blog post is extremely crude and unclear. One cannot make out the true meaning behind Shadow Brokers’ actions. How do they expect their newly proposed ‘monthly subscription’ plan work when the previous one fell flat on its face? The blog post criticizes the global technology giants and their relation with the U.S government. It condems them for not buying the exploits in the past and has given them another chance to purchase the entire stolen data dump before it starts to auction on the dark web, in parts. It is looking for the ‘responsible party’ to collect back the data, no one else except the subscribers will gain access to it.
