Snowden points to Russia as perpetrator of NSA hack

By Barry Eitel

SAN FRANCISCO

National Security Agency whistle-blower Edward Snowden claimed Tuesday that a purported leak of NSA cyberweapons by hackers is likely the work of Russia.

A group of hackers calling themselves the Shadow Brokers claimed Monday that they had breached systems used by Equation Group, a cybersecurity firm believed to be employed by the NSA. To add credence to the claim, the Shadow Brokers released a series of files supposedly stolen from Equation Group, including software that can be used for digital surveillance, and explained that they planned to auction off more cyberweapons to those willing to pay.

Cybersecurity experts are still validating the exploits of the Shadow Brokers. Although many believe the leak is legitimate, the hack appears to have happened in 2013, so the software is a little dated.

Snowden, a former contractor for the NSA who leaked thousands of documents detailing a long-term surveillance program by the U.S. government, said the hack of NSA servers is not unprecedented, but the trumpeted publication is what is new.

Suspecting that the leak is “more diplomacy than intelligence,” Snowden noted that he thinks Russia is behind Shadow Brokers’ activities.

“Circumstantial evidence and conventional wisdom indicates Russian responsibility,” he said on Twitter.

By showcasing hackers have gained access to NSA servers, the attackers warn the U.S. that they likely have information regarding surveillance on other nations by the U.S, according to Snowden.

“This leak is likely a warning that someone can prove U.S. responsibility for any attacks that originated from this malware server,” he said. “That could have significant foreign policy consequences. Particularly if any of those operations targeted U.S. allies. Particularly if any of those operations targeted elections.”

Russia, Snowden theorized, is concerned about the U.S. government revealing its potential ties to the recent hack of the Democratic National Committee’s computer systems. Via the Shadow Brokers, Snowden thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government could be issuing a warning about laying blame.

“This leak looks like somebody sending a message that an escalation in the attribution game could get messy fast,” he concluded.