THIS Is What House Democrats Need to Investigate! How Russia Got NSA Malware in 2017

[McCamy Taylor]

Forget sex. America is bored with sex. The House needs to investigate this:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/25/us/nsa-hacking-tool-baltimore.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage#commentsContainer

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.

snip

North Korea was the first nation to co-opt the tool, for an attack in 2017 — called WannaCry — that paralyzed the British health care system, German railroads and some 200,000 organizations around the world. Next was Russia, which used the weapon in an attack — called NotPetya — that was aimed at Ukraine but spread across major companies doing business in the country. The assault cost FedEx more than $400 million and Merck, the pharmaceutical giant, $670 million.

The damage didn’t stop there. In the past year, the same Russian hackers who targeted the 2016 American presidential election used EternalBlue to compromise hotel Wi-Fi networks. Iranian hackers have used it to spread ransomware and hack airlines in the Middle East, according to researchers at the security firms Symantec and FireEye.

How do know that one of Trump's insecure friends with a security clearance did not release this NSA property to Russia in 2017? We don't!


Congress needs to start investigating this issue yesterday! If North Korea was the first to exploit it followed by Russia, you can bet that Russia stole it, tested it in North Korea and now has access to a tool that will allow it to corrupt local computer databases in a way that may make a fair e-vote election all but impossible. Complicating the matter--if local Republicans believe that the malware will allow Russian hackers to aid them in 2020, they will be inclined to look the other way, allowing hansom hackers to prey upon US citizens.

First on the agenda--Congress must do away with e-voting and insist upon paper ballots. The Senate and Trump will stonewall, which will make it very clear to Americans that the GOP is counting on election fraud.

Then, the House must offer aid to local communities to upgrade their security. Those which decline should be named publicly and asked why they want to enable organized crime.

[PoliticAverse]

1. It wasn't "released to Russia" it was released on the Internet for anyone to download.

If the Russians got it directly they would have been smart enough to keep it to themselves.

[Sgent]

3. Yep

They did however use it (NotPetya).

[McCamy Taylor]

7. No, they would release it. To a weak ally like North Korea first. To protect their source (Trump)

If it was really released into the wild where any organized crime family or wily hacker could use it, North Korea would not have been the first one to exploit it. All the world's crimes families would have used it simultaneously.

[Dennis Donovan]

2. Agreed. QUITE suspect!

What if I told you it was Trump himself, on the day he met, UNSUPERVISED, with the Russians in the Oval Office?

Any other POTUS, I would call such an assumption "mad". Not this one...

[triron]

4. Or one of his children or Jared.

[moondust]

5. Where's Eddie Snowden?

He may be in Pootyland but there could be other "private contractors" with access to such things. Who the hell thought private contractors for the IC would be a good idea? Republican privatizers, no doubt. Yikes.

[UpInArms]

6. Dear Fuck ... we are so screwed

I keep thinking that I cannot be any more angry.... and then I learn something else and ... I am ...

My blood pressure will never be acceptable under this maladminstration