
Russia says spyware found in state computer networks - djoldman
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-cyber-attacks-idUSKCN10A0F0
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rabboRubble
So I've been studying a foreign language, a language from a country active in
state sponsored hacking. Two years ago I had the opportunity to participate in
a competition at the country's embassy. I had to bring some files on a USB
that was to be connected to a computer in the embassy. Competition went well,
didn't humiliate myself, and came home with a consolation prize and my USB.

Only when I got home, did I realize the USB was dead to me with possibly
unwanted packages from the foreign government _AND_ the US government.

Took a hammer to the USB and the USB went into the garbage.

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aymenim
May be i am missing something, but how did you figure out the USB is infected,
it would be very useful if you could share how to recognize that.

~~~
rabboRubble
Gustomaximus had it right.

I didn't know if the USB drive was infected, and I didn't have an adequate
test environment to make a determination either way. I just didn't reconnect
that USB again to my systems.

Basically what I recognized was the risk from the physical environment. The
event was held at reception hall within the embassy intended to host events
with industry and government officials. The student competition was just one
type of event there, and almost certainly the least important type of event.
The hall had backroom audio visual system with a Windows PC connected to a
projection screen. From the foreign government perspective, the AV system
great for infecting guest attendees’ USBs to be walked back into secured
networks when they return home/work.

If I designed the AV system, the system would be completely isolated from the
internal embassy network. From a US perspective, to gain entry to the internal
embassy network I would insert spyware into this system with the hope that
someone in the Chinese embassy would reuse a USB between the AV system and the
their internal network.

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meowface
Whatever actually happened here, this announcement is almost definitely just a
political move.

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Overtonwindow
Maybe someone is trying to get Putins emails. I wish we'd get a dump of
Chinese Politburo emails. Those would be intersting.

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philip1209
An honest question: what makes this newsworthy? There seems to be nothing
objective or concrete to report.

~~~
zghst
Red scare campaign of 2016

