FBI paid renegade developer $180k for backdoored AN0M chat app(theregister.com)
theregister.com
FBI paid renegade developer $180k for backdoored AN0M chat app
https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/08/fbi_trojan_shield/
9 comments
For their objectives, that was undoubtedly a good return on investment. Even ignoring the ROI, the absolute cost seems quite reasonable given the feature set and target market. Someone picked a good CHS or did a good job with avoiding scope creep.
While I applaud them for their understanding and use of technology, it is a strange feeling to see the FBI start to think like the NSA. Given the positive PR of this approach+result other teams will most assuredly try to replicate it
While I applaud them for their understanding and use of technology, it is a strange feeling to see the FBI start to think like the NSA. Given the positive PR of this approach+result other teams will most assuredly try to replicate it
Which is fine, if you ask me. This app was created for criminal dealings, specifically. It was handed over to them by a criminal. They had an op to specifically distribute the compromised app only to the crime networks.
They didn't take over good-faith services. They didn't try to spy on civilians. They didn't try to blanket-surveil the public.
It was a clever, successful and seemingly by-the-books operation.
They didn't take over good-faith services. They didn't try to spy on civilians. They didn't try to blanket-surveil the public.
It was a clever, successful and seemingly by-the-books operation.
I wonder why the FBI would reveal this information? Surely they could continue under the radar for as long as possible and continue catching criminals?
Government agencies like the FBI are subject to the Freedom of Information Act and cannot keep stuff like this a secret once they start making arrests. Once they go public it's all subject to scrutiny. This may be why they did all these arrests at once in a large wave.
https://www.foia.gov/
https://www.foia.gov/
Yet everyone who got Signal from an app store thinks they’re totally fine?