A new publication by Der Spiegel, based on internal documents from the US National Security Agency (NSA), reveals more details about how the spy service gets access to computers and other electronic devices to plant backdoors and other spyware.
The Office of Tailored Access OperationsOr TAO, περιγράφεται σαν μια "ομάδα ψηφιακών υδραυλικών" ή στα αγγλικά "squad of digital plumbers" που ασχολούνται με στόχους υψηλού προφίλ και γενικότερα με συστήματα που δεν είναι εύκολο να διεισδύσει κανείς. Η ομάδα TAO έχει την ευθύνη πρόσβασης στα προστατευόμενα networks των αρχηγών κρατών σε όλο τον κόσμο, συνεργάζεται με τη CIA, το FBI και να αναλαμβάνει "ευαίσθητες αποστολές." Έχει διεισδύσει στις υποθαλάσσιες οπτικές ινες που μεταφέρουν το Internet. Η ομάδα TAO σταματάει παραδόσεις ηλεκτρονικού εξοπλισμού σκόπιμα για να φυτέψει spyware που τους δίνουν απομακρυσμένη πρόσβαση στα συστήματα μόλις παραδοθούν και εγκατασταθούν.
According to the publication, the NSA has planted backdoors and gained access to computers, hard drives, routers and other devices at companies such as CiscoThe DellThe Western DigitalThe SeagateThe MaxtorThe Samsung and Huawei.
The publication includes a 50 product catalog with tools and techniques that uses a portion of the NSA called ANT, or Technology Network Access, and specializes in violating devices in any way.
"For every lock, the ANT seems to have a key in its toolbox. And no matter what protections companies use, NSA experts don't seem to stop." the publication says.
The ANT department prefers to hack through the BIOS, coding a chip on the motherboard that runs when the machine starts up. Infiltration with this type of spyware is largely invisible to security programs and can continue even after formatting and installing a new operating system.
With the exception of Dell, the companies mentioned above contacted the company Der Spiegel and claimed they did not know that the NSA had planted backdoors on their equipment.
