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It's an open secret that FSB et all work with ransomware gangs. As long as they don't target Russian companies they don't care what they do otherwise. So it's n

It's an open secret that FSB et all work with ransomware gangs. As long as they don't target Russian companies they don't care what they do otherwise. So it's not so much they're a front as they're in a sort of quasi officially sanctioned middle ground.

terminous 3y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_marque https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_marque
r00fus 3y ago
Digital privateers
hnthrowaway0315 3y ago
Yeah. I'm also thinking about ways to "promote" malware without getting impacted. Let's say some three digit agencies create sort of malware distribution forums in the darknet. They make sure to only broadcast to people who wants to play with malwares so the net catches the "bad guys" mostly, except for a few curious researchers or journalists maybe. Then they start to share recent generarion malwares they created. They don't need to distribute them by themselves because they already have the CCC servers. Some malware gangs would eventually be the frontend and start the distribution. In this way you not only distribute the malwares without getting impacted, you also get to know the gangs so whenever you want to catch a few fishes you just pull the net. Once the darknet forum dies out or they need to wipe the records, they would just leave and create a new one. Just my wild thought.
sofixa 3y ago
As an example, the DarkSide malware (the one used against the Colonial Pipeline) explicitly checks if it's running on a computer in the CIS (Russia+countries nostalgic of the Soviet Union / without a better choice) and exits.
- jasonwatkinspdx 3y ago
  Oh interesting, I'd not heard that. Thanks.
- prmoustache 3y ago
  Well, this doesn't mean they work for FSB but rather they want to stay away from them. If I was based in a country I would not want to target those that can more easily get me into jail and/or kill me. I have no idea if FSB work for them, this is more speculation than open secret, but they certainly do tolerate them and see them in a good eye as long as they target western companies and agencies. The enemy of my enemies is my friend.
sfink 3y ago
privateers

terminous 3y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_marque https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_marque

r00fus 3y ago

Digital privateers

hnthrowaway0315 3y ago

Yeah. I'm also thinking about ways to "promote" malware without getting impacted. Let's say some three digit agencies create sort of malware distribution forums in the darknet. They make sure to only broadcast to people who wants to play with malwares so the net catches the "bad guys" mostly, except for a few curious researchers or journalists maybe. Then they start to share recent generarion malwares they created. They don't need to distribute them by themselves because they already have the CCC servers. Some malware gangs would eventually be the frontend and start the distribution. In this way you not only distribute the malwares without getting impacted, you also get to know the gangs so whenever you want to catch a few fishes you just pull the net. Once the darknet forum dies out or they need to wipe the records, they would just leave and create a new one. Just my wild thought.

sofixa 3y ago

As an example, the DarkSide malware (the one used against the Colonial Pipeline) explicitly checks if it's running on a computer in the CIS (Russia+countries nostalgic of the Soviet Union / without a better choice) and exits.

jasonwatkinspdx 3y ago
Oh interesting, I'd not heard that. Thanks.
prmoustache 3y ago
Well, this doesn't mean they work for FSB but rather they want to stay away from them. If I was based in a country I would not want to target those that can more easily get me into jail and/or kill me. I have no idea if FSB work for them, this is more speculation than open secret, but they certainly do tolerate them and see them in a good eye as long as they target western companies and agencies. The enemy of my enemies is my friend.

sfink 3y ago

privateers