NSA Gets Hacked By A Group Named ‘The Shadow Brokers’

A body of hackers has claimed that it has breached the Equation Group, a hacking group hypothesised to be an offshoot branch of the National Security Agency (NSA). The hackers have uploaded bits of files containing some parts of alleged surveillance tools used by the agency.

However, after releasing the teaser files, the hackers are demanding millions of dollars to provide the rest.

The hackers have styled themselves as ‘The Shadow Brokers’, and they said that they would provide the remaining files to the highest bidder. The payment will be made via Bitcoin.

A body of hackers has claimed that it has breached the Equation Group, a hacking group hypothesised to be an offshoot branch of the National Security Agency (NSA). The hackers have uploaded bits of files containing some parts of alleged surveillance tools used by the agency.

However, after releasing the teaser files, the hackers are demanding millions of dollars to provide the rest.

The hackers have styled themselves as ‘The Shadow Brokers’, and they said that they would provide the remaining files to the highest bidder. The payment will be made via Bitcoin.

The Equation Group was exposed by the Kaspersky Lab. However, the connection between NSA and the hacker group was not established beyond doubt. Yet, the use of similar code names and the incidences of the Equation Group being linked to the other high-profile hacks as indicated by the Edward Snowden’s leaks gave rise to the belief that the group is related to the National Security Agency.

Claudio Guarnieri is a technologist for Amnesty International, and he believes that the Shadow Group hack seems legit.The Shadow Group had reiterated that the released files are only 40 percent of the breach. The remaining 60 percent will be handed over to the highest bidder. Their post implied that the files also contain some sophisticated and complex hacking tools used by NSA to spy on others.

The funny part of the breach is the hacker’s lust for Bitcoin, as is evident from this FAQ posted alongside the hacked files dump.

The GitHub repository where the hackers had posted the breached files has since been deposited, making this whole episode a bit darker.

NSA has yet to respond or comment on the news of the breach; getting a taste of your own medicine, huh?