FBI acts to remove backdoors from hacked Microsoft Exchange servers

techradar.com

13 points·eddieoz··10 comments

Recent discussions:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26800481

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26805199

“This court-authorized operation to copy and remove malicious web shells from hundreds of vulnerable computers shows our commitment to use any viable resource to fight cyber criminals,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery of the Southern District of Texas.

"We also found a copy of '1984' on the hard drive. Boy, that could have gotten you in some hot water. Good thing that we deleted it for you. No, no need to say 'thanks', you're welcome." -FBI

But it is just to protect you from hackers.

An agency that operates in secrecy with little to no oversight now takes the privilege of modifying personal computers? I'm sure this will end well...

They went to see a judge about it first. Nothing secretive.

FBI uses backdoor to remove alleged backdoors.

Why are taxpayers funding remediation of Microsoft’s shitty vulnerable software?

The status quo for US taxpayers is to fund black hat activities like introducing new vulnerabilities, so believe it or not a move towards grey hat actions is a change for the better.

To protect national security.

Also, thinking of any type of government work as being a pointless drain on private wealth is a bad way to think about things imo. Taxes don't even directly fund such government programs.

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