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Hawkeye Malware Exploits Stolen NSA Cyber Weapons

Posted: May 8, 2019 to Cybersecurity.

Tags: Malware, Data Breach, Cloud Security

The mystery surrounding the misappropriation of some of the National Security Agency's most effective cyberweapons deepened recently when a Chinese hacking group known as Buckeye, APT3, and Gothic Panda utilized NSA exploits and attack tools EternalRomance and EternalSynergy. It remains unclear how they obtained the NSA tools though both were released by the Shadow Brokers. In the report released by Symantec, the exploited tools came from The Equation Group, allegedly NSA's offensive cyber operations unit. "The purpose of all the attacks was to acquire a persistent presence on the victim's network, meaning information theft was the most likely motive of the attacks," Symantec writes. The attack raises valid concerns about the U.S. Vulnerabilities Equities Process, a process where the U.S. discloses software vulnerabilities to vendors so they can be fixed. However, unpatched vulnerabilities are how U.S. cyber spies infiltrate other systems. Unreported vulnerabilities put other countries at risk. Many experts believe Buckeye, who began using a variant of the DoublePulsar backdoor in March 2016, work with China's intelligence agency. Debate rages on over how late is too late to disclose software flaws that give the U.S. a cyber advantage. Deploying vulnerability exploits give hackers an opportunity to reverse engineer or discover those vulnerabilities too.

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About the Author

Craig Petronella, CEO and Founder of Petronella Technology Group
CEO, Founder & AI Architect, Petronella Technology Group

Craig Petronella founded Petronella Technology Group in 2002 and has spent more than 30 years working at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, compliance, and digital forensics. He holds the CMMC Registered Practitioner credential (RP-1372) issued by the Cyber AB, is an NC Licensed Digital Forensics Examiner (License #604180-DFE), and completed MIT Professional Education programs in AI, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity. Craig also holds CompTIA Security+, CCNA, and Hyperledger certifications.

He is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author of 15+ books on cybersecurity and compliance, host of the Encrypted Ambition podcast (95+ episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon), and a cybersecurity keynote speaker with 200+ engagements at conferences, law firms, and corporate boardrooms. Craig serves as Contributing Editor for Cybersecurity at NC Triangle Attorney at Law Magazine and is a guest lecturer at NCCU School of Law. He has served as a digital forensics expert witness in federal and state court cases involving cybercrime, cryptocurrency fraud, SIM-swap attacks, and data breaches.

Under his leadership, Petronella Technology Group has served 2,500+ clients, maintained a zero-breach record among compliant clients, earned a BBB A+ rating every year since 2003, and been featured as a cybersecurity authority on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and WRAL. The company leverages SOC 2 Type II certified platforms and specializes in AI implementation, managed cybersecurity, CMMC/HIPAA/SOC 2 compliance, and digital forensics for businesses across the United States.

CMMC-RP NC Licensed DFE MIT Certified CompTIA Security+ Expert Witness 15+ Books
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