According to reports, in the structures of the Internal Security Agency operates a secret unit of TAO (Tailored Access Operations – Shares Personalization Access), which was established in 1997 and deals with the interception of the purchased hardware before it goes on to the recipient. This process is called “interdict” (hard to tell if ironically) and is to receive the shipment before it enters the recipient and submitted it to the workshop NSA. In the open packet of specialists carefully so as not to leave a trace, and install malware. Malicious software may be given in the form of application or soldered to the motherboard additional component. When it’s all over the consignment is re-assembled on a slight delay, and delivered to the recipient.
such action TAO has full access to the infected computer. Additionally, uses a Windows error messages to capture information about the vulnerability, which later use against other users.
Additional components that can be installed or swapped on the device, for example, the cable to the monitor, which allows for remote viewing of the display and the USB plug allows remotely track the location of the target. All these gadgets TAO can buy from belonging to the Internal Security Agency ANT group (Access Network Technology). Der Spiegel has obtained access to the directory having 50 pages thus ensuring agents ordered spy components.
TAOheadquarters is located in an old factory Sony in San Antonio, but also act on European soil, min. in Frankfurt and Darmstadt in the suburbs.
main objectives of the attacks, according to the disclosed documents are Juniper Networks firewalls, hard drives, Western Digital, Seagate, Maxtor and Samsung, Cisco and network equipment Huawei and Dell. Currently, there is no reason to suppose that any of these companies cooperated with the NSA – probably the only victims of extremely effective cybercriminals.
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