Who are The Shadow Brokers? I have no clue. Nobody really does. The Shadow Brokers are one of most controversial characters of this Cyber-Era. The mysterious group emerged mid-summer 2016 when they started to anonymously, publicly drop tools and operational notes that allegedly belonged to the NSA Tailored Access Operations unit. This group referred to itself as The Shadow Brokers and quickly became the NSA's worst nightmare since Edward Snowden.
Previous whistle blowers released documents redacted of sensitive nature, such as authors. But with The Shadow Brokers, what emerged was a different level of dangerous and more aggressive leaks that didn't only release highly sensitive tools, but also revealed a wide range of modus operandi that included agents' names and the full disclosure of the NSA's complex (and many argue irresponsible) attack against the backbone of the Middle East's financial institutions. For now, The Shadow Brokers are happy to have the general public guessing their identity and true origins. Is it an intelligence organization running a highly complex set of misdirection and penetration? Is it a second Snowden with access to the NSA's most sensitive cyber weapons? We may never know. What is certain, is that the emergence of The Shadow Brokers is a game-changer and presents a massively embarrassing (and dangerous) breach for the NSA, the world's most advanced signal intelligence agency and best resourced government backed hacking organization. This embarrassment became a muse for the most destructive and fast-spreading ransomware (WannaCry) in History, shutting down hospitals and companies across the Globe.
In this talk, I’ll detail the leaks The Shadow Brokers have conducted and examine the short and long term impact these leaks present. I’ll also perform a deep dive in some of the most intrusive tools designed by the most sophisticated nation state intelligence agency. Additionally, attendees will learn what changed pre-The Shadow Brokers and during-The Shadow Brokers regarding geopolitical interests using cyber fear as a service.