Shouldn't the NSA document be a huge banner headline everywhere?

[Calista241]

16. So, I'm in the privacy and security business, and that's not how hacking works.

Email systems are recognized by companies as being the least secure processes within their infrastructure and are often segregated from other, more critical systems.

And hacking an email account gets a hacker ito the companies emails. A software companies' source code, like what is described in this NSA document, would not be available to just anyone in the company.

And even if it was, it would have taken the development staff millions of man hours to write and develop that code. If the hack took place in August and they got full access on day 1 of the hack, that's not enough time to steal the code, break it, modify it, test it, and deliver it back to the developer and then have the developer deliver the broken code out to all their machines. All without anyone noticing what they've done.

What you're talking about would've been the number 1 hack of all time, and by an incredible margin. STUXNET isn't even in the same league. An organization that relies on spear fishing attacks; a low quality, easily identified, easily remedied, and easily developed hack, would be extrarinarily unlikely to then be able to develop the sophisticated code rewrite everyone is envisioning. The IT staff of that company knew within seconds that they were attacked, and would have taken steps to limit the scope of the breach.

I hate Trump as much as anyone, but don't put your hopes into this particular story as the means to bring down the administration.