Cyber Security/Hacking: Russian Code Likely Running in U.S. Government

Folks,

In light of all the talk of Russia's purported involvement in the recent U.S. Elections by way of hacking, we felt the need to let it be known that today, computer code that was either likely written in Russia and/or that is still likely supported from within Russia, is likely still running in highly privileged security contexts across potentially many parts of the U.S. Government.

To the wise, we need say no more.

By the way, this is neither something that we uniquely know nor is it classified information. This information is freely available in the public domain and can be easily deduced by some basic online sleuthing, by anyone with merely an Internet connection.

Just one more thing; as a cyber security professional, I find the means by which whoever hacked the DNC and John Podesta's emails absolutely laughable - I mean what an amateur job it was, and yet the profoundness of its impact is almost unbelievable!

I mean, here we worry about how someone could write a few lines of code targeting Active Directory and potentially be in a position to proverbially shut the motor of the world, and there some kid just phishes John Podesta into obtaining access to his Gmail account and thereby to vast amounts of private email, which he/she then purportedly passes on to WikiLeaks, who ends up releasing it in the public domain. and that according to the CIA, that ends up influencing the U.S. Election.

Best wishes,
Sanjay

PS: To the respected folks in our govt., please know that we already informed the highest cyber security officials concerning the likely presence of Russian code earlier last year. However, if there is still a need to identify it, pls let us know; we're here to help.

The World's Biggest Cyber Security Breach (Yet) & Role of Cyber Weapons

Folks,

I'll keep this very short. The recent U.S. Elections, possibly the world's most important global event, are now over, and one of the biggest takeaways from it would undoubtedly have to be the sheer impact that a cyber security breach can have today.

In fact, professionally speaking, if one were to consider the impact of a cyber security breach, the recent breaches of the DNC and Mr. Podesta's Gmail account, albeit so amateur, would have to be possibly the world's biggest cyber security breach yet.

Why?  Because these simple breaches resulted in the compromise of the confidentiality of vast amounts of an entity's sensitive private data (i.e. 1000s of emails of the DNC and Mr. John Podesta), the public disclosure of which is widely believed to have influenced the outcome of arguably the most important event on the planet, the election of the President of the United States.

In fact, the Director of the NSA, Admiral Michael Rogers recently said that there shouldn't be "any doubt in anyone's mind" that there was "a conscious effort made by a nation state" to sway the result of the 2016 presidential election.

If you can impact the most powerful office in the world, you can potentially impact the future of mankind as well as the planet. Since these cyber security breaches impacted the most powerful office in the world, they'd have to be the world's biggest yet.

In light of these breaches, there's been talk about the need for and role of cyber weapons to bolster America's cyber defenses.



[ (If I may digress for a bit.)  Begin Digression] 

Speaking of Cyber Security Weapons

Given cyber security's paramount importance in today's world, and the growing role that cyber warfare plays in modern warfare, the need for and the importance of cyber security weapons is becoming clearer. Reportedly, recently the U.S. Government may have been signaling more emphasis on developing cyber weapons to deter attacks, punish intruders and tackle adversaries.

Speaking of cyber security weapons, interestingly, unlike military weapons (e.g. conventional and nuclear weapons) which have traditionally and primarily been in the hands of and controlled by governments, since the development and deployment of cyber security weapons only requires technical cyber security expertise (, not massive infrastructures (e.g. materials, factories, bases, launch pads, personnel, deployment vehicles, satellites etc.)), they could actually be moderately easily developed as well as controlled by non-government entities (e.g. $B corporations) and potentially be used by not just governments (nations) to aid, assist and gain superiority in modern (and cyber) warfare and diplomacy, but also by business organizations alike to influence business and political outcomes, such as to influence elections in other nation states (e.g. Russia.)

Given today's super highly digitally connected world, cyber security weapons are likely to play a prominent role in global affairs.

(By the way, I only happen to know a thing or two about cyber security weapons since we recently built one, primarily to serve as a deterrent, and to demonstrate the sheer technical superiority (defensive and offensive capabilities) in the cyber security space that exists today for the protection of the business and national security interests of the United States and its allies.)

[End of Digression]



Of all the major recent cyber security breaches (Snowden, Target, JP Morgan, Sony, Anthem, OPM etc.), in terms of impact, the recent breaches of the DNC & Mr. Podesta's Gmail account may possibly have been the biggest cyber security breach(es) yet.

Oh and I say yet because today it is entirely possible to develop powerful cyber security payloads/weapons that could possibly automate the compromise/destruction of a specific organization or a vast number thereof, in a specific nation, or many thereof.

We care deeply about cyber security.

Best wishes,
Sanjay