When reports emerge about the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations’ offensive cyber capabilities (creating a fake newspaper website to catch a Seattle bomber and similar phishing escapades) the question always arises: Where does this talent arise -- in-house of via subcontractor? -- and the short answer is FireEye Mandiant. Before we delve into how Mandiant works with the … [Read more...]
The Hacking Team — On the Comeback Trail?
A complementary pass sent to law enforcement agents for ISS World Europe [June 7 - 9 in Prague] promotes, among other things, sessions titled ‘Zero In On Your Target: Advanced Social Engineering Techniques” and “New Cutting-Edge Surveillance Tools” hosted by The Hacking Team. It’s a sign that Italy’s premier provider of intrusive or ethical malware solutions is making a strong … [Read more...]
FBI Network Investigative Techniques: Gray Realm of Legal Blackhat
Recent reports on FBI Network Investigative Techniques (NITs) skirt two key issues: What is the legal authority for the legal Blackhat activities, and once a warrant is obtained, what are the specific technologies involved -- just malware or something more? As it turns out, both the legal and technical aspects of NITs constitute a gray realm that blurs the black and white … [Read more...]
Reborn in the U.S.A: The Long, Winding Story of Gamma Group
Gamma Group and The Hacking Team are without question the two most prestigious providers of network injection solutions, surveillance industry jargon for malware used to take over targets’ communications devices. Yet while their products are similar in many ways, the companies and their histories are completely unlike. One is an open book -- the other a dark hole on … [Read more...]
Cisco: Encryption Backdoors and the Art of Public Posturing
In a joint letter to the White House, Cisco Systems and other tech companies including Facebook and Google earlier this year joined privacy advocates in defending the right to use strong encryption, and opposing mandatory “backdoors” that would permit government access to customers’ encrypted data. But hold on. Cisco and other network equipment vendors by law already provide … [Read more...]