A Tangled Web: Cyber Mercenaries
06/22/22 • 31 min
Winnona asks: how does one regulate an industry that operates so far in the shadows? This is a major problem in the hack for hire industry, and something we’re going to try and tackle on our podcast episode today on Cyber.RAR. We will be looking at what it looks like to be selling hacking capabilities to governments, what the nuances within the space are, and what concerning trade-offs we’re making that governments may not understand but industry does.
Show Notes: NSO: https://www.zdnet.com/article/commerce-dept-sanctions-nso-group-positive-technologies-and-more-for-selling-spyware-and-hacking-tools/
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/11/apple-sues-nso-group-to-curb-the-abuse-of-state-sponsored-spyware/
https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/21/22848485/pegasus-spyware-jamal-khashoggi-murder-nso-hanan-elatr-new-analysis
https://citizenlab.ca/2016/08/million-dollar-dissident-iphone-zero-day-nso-group-uae/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/08/nso-israeli-spyware-company-whatsapp-lawsuit-ruling
https://www.wired.com/story/nso-group-forcedentry-pegasus-spyware-analysis/
https://citizenlab.ca/2018/11/mexican-journalists-investigating-cartels-targeted-nso-spyware-following-assassination-colleague/
Offensive Cyber Capabilities https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/a-primer-on-the-proliferation-of-offensive-cyber-capabilities/ Coseinc: https://risky.biz/RB310/
Winnona asks: how does one regulate an industry that operates so far in the shadows? This is a major problem in the hack for hire industry, and something we’re going to try and tackle on our podcast episode today on Cyber.RAR. We will be looking at what it looks like to be selling hacking capabilities to governments, what the nuances within the space are, and what concerning trade-offs we’re making that governments may not understand but industry does.
Show Notes: NSO: https://www.zdnet.com/article/commerce-dept-sanctions-nso-group-positive-technologies-and-more-for-selling-spyware-and-hacking-tools/
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/11/apple-sues-nso-group-to-curb-the-abuse-of-state-sponsored-spyware/
https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/21/22848485/pegasus-spyware-jamal-khashoggi-murder-nso-hanan-elatr-new-analysis
https://citizenlab.ca/2016/08/million-dollar-dissident-iphone-zero-day-nso-group-uae/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/08/nso-israeli-spyware-company-whatsapp-lawsuit-ruling
https://www.wired.com/story/nso-group-forcedentry-pegasus-spyware-analysis/
https://citizenlab.ca/2018/11/mexican-journalists-investigating-cartels-targeted-nso-spyware-following-assassination-colleague/
Offensive Cyber Capabilities https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/a-primer-on-the-proliferation-of-offensive-cyber-capabilities/ Coseinc: https://risky.biz/RB310/
Previous Episode
Rose/Bud/Thorn: Cyberwar in Ukraine
Dani asks: how does cyber fit into modern warfare strategies? How have cyber strategies evolved in the last two decades, what can we learn from the uses of cyber capabilities in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and how should the U.S. evolve its cyberwarfare strategy going forward? We will be exploring myths of cyberwarfare strategy - like the escalation of cyber offense into kinetic warfare - and examining where and why cyberwarfare has been effective or ineffective.
History of Russian Cyber Strategy: https://www.boozallen.com/c/insight/publication/the-logic-behind-russian-military-cyber-operations.html
Next Episode
Expert Interviews: Cyber Mercenaries
Winnona continues her exploration of cyber mercenaries by interviewing three experts: Sophia D'Antoine & Dave Aitel, two professionals in the offensive security industry, and Sean McFate - an expert on private military contractors.
Cyber policy papers: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pnISykZe1nn1wwWBJRiaxYaqDoj4ADeBtsoUL41Hw2Y/edit?usp=drive_web&ouid=116612216017356103570
The Modern Mercenary: https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Mercenary-Private-Armies-World/dp/0199360103
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