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I wonder if this was nation-state backed hackers or just some rando. I'm guessing nation-state because it seems they stole some source code/R&D. I'd guess Chin

by m4jor 4y ago

I wonder if this was nation-state backed hackers or just some rando. I'm guessing nation-state because it seems they stole some source code/R&D. I'd guess China. That's their entire MO. Further the Chinese economy by any means necessary. Why waste years and millions on R&D when you can just steal it? https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chinese-hackers-took-trillions-in-intellectual-property-from-about-30-multinational-companies/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chinese-hackers-took-trillions-...

g_p 4y ago
IP theft might also be a distraction for an attempt (perhaps unsuccessful, perhaps undetected as of yet) to gain a foothold in the development environment for introduction of future changes to the client code. For something like a password manager using client side crypto, compromising the software supply chain of the client is an interesting proposition for an attacker.
deepdriver 4y ago
Allegedly France is also big on industrial espionage, but this doesn’t get as much press since they’re a key NATO ally: https://www.france24.com/en/20110104-france-industrial-espionage-economy-germany-russia-china-business https://www.france24.com/en/20110104-france-industrial-espio...
- usehackernews 4y ago
  On Lex Friedman’s podcast with former CIA spy Andrew Bustamante, Andrew stated that the French spy agency is the top in the world with this type espionage. He said they put all their resources into industrial espionage and it’s pretty much their only focus.
  - deepdriver 4y ago
    That's where I heard of it too. Apparently this view is shared by others in government as well, as revealed in the Wikileaks diplomatic cable dump.
  - secfirstmd 4y ago
    Israel also very blatantly does it. The US does it also. Can't remember the exact number but contracts above 150 million can occasionally be "helped along" by national level assets.

by m4jor 4y ago

g_p 4y ago

IP theft might also be a distraction for an attempt (perhaps unsuccessful, perhaps undetected as of yet) to gain a foothold in the development environment for introduction of future changes to the client code. For something like a password manager using client side crypto, compromising the software supply chain of the client is an interesting proposition for an attacker.

deepdriver 4y ago

Allegedly France is also big on industrial espionage, but this doesn’t get as much press since they’re a key NATO ally: https://www.france24.com/en/20110104-france-industrial-espionage-economy-germany-russia-china-business https://www.france24.com/en/20110104-france-industrial-espio...

usehackernews 4y ago
On Lex Friedman’s podcast with former CIA spy Andrew Bustamante, Andrew stated that the French spy agency is the top in the world with this type espionage. He said they put all their resources into industrial espionage and it’s pretty much their only focus.
- deepdriver 4y ago
  That's where I heard of it too. Apparently this view is shared by others in government as well, as revealed in the Wikileaks diplomatic cable dump.
- secfirstmd 4y ago
  Israel also very blatantly does it. The US does it also. Can't remember the exact number but contracts above 150 million can occasionally be "helped along" by national level assets.