TurkuSec Community reports another collaborative effort to buy into the Shadow Brokers malware-of-the-month club:
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“What Could Go Wrong?” is a valid question.
On the other hand, you are already spending $billions on insecure software every year.
Most of which is closed-source, meaning it may contain CIA/NSA backdoors.
A few hires in the right places and unbeknownst to the vendor, they would be distributing CIA/NSA malware.
If you credit denials of such activities by the CIA/NSA or any other government spy agency, you should stop using computers. You are a security risk to your employer.
A Shadow Brokers subscription, where 2,500 people risk $100 each for each release, on the other hand, is far safer than commercial software. If the the first release prove bogus, don’t buy a second one.
Contrast that with insecure closed source software for an OS or database that may contain CIA/NSA/etc. backdoors. You don’t get to avoid the second purchase. (You bought the maintenance package too. Am I right?)
I can’t and won’t counsel anyone to risk more than $100, but shared risk is the fundamental principle of insurance. Losses can and will happen. That’s why we distribute the risk.
That link again: https://t.co/wjMn3DjzQp.
PS: Shadow Brokers: Even a list of the names with brief descriptions might help attract people who want to share the risk of subscribing. The “big” corporations are likely too arrogant to think they need the release.