NSA Hacked - Bad publicity for Bitcoin

[OmegaStarScream]

So yeah , It seems like a group associated with the NSA has been hacked "Equation-group" => http://fossbytes.com/nsa-hacked-by-shadow-brokers-equation-group/

The hacking group has  leaked some private hacking tools and exploits. The hackers are also asking for 1 million bitcoin (about $568 million) in an auction to release all the files.

Here are my three scenarios :

1. Satoshi Nakamoto is NSA and he is going to pay the 1 million Bitcoin.
2. NSA will buy 1 million Bitcoin and give us a nice increase in the price.
3. NSA won't do shit . (which is the thing likely to happen in this case)

[Pursuer]

So yeah , It seems like a group associated with the NSA has been hacked "Equation-group" => http://fossbytes.com/nsa-hacked-by-shadow-brokers-equation-group/

The hacking group has  leaked some private hacking tools and exploits. The hackers are also asking for 1 million bitcoin (about $568 million) in an auction to release all the files.

Here are my three scenarios :

this is very interesting indeed, to see NSA getting hacked! wow

1. Satoshi Nakamoto is NSA and he is going to pay the 1 million Bitcoin.

this is mostly funny than being a true scenario.
and why would satoshi nakamoto be NSA? what are your reasons for thinking that. if he were bitcoin would have had some backdoor in its code I assure you.

2. NSA will buy 1 million Bitcoin and give us a nice increase in the price.

and what makes you think they don't already own 1 million bitcoins?

3. NSA won't do shit . (which is the thing likely to happen in this case)

I doubt that they even pay the hackers because of the bad publicity of it. NSA is not a small company (like that hospital that was hacked a while ago) to get hacked and pay the hackers to make it go away.
it is the freaking National Security Agency they can not just pay the hackers off

[Xmaseven]

3. NSA won't do shit . (which is the thing likely to happen in this case)

normally when a federal agency is involved, nobody will pay any ransom....
and we are talking about NSA: they could reach "anyone" so it's only a matter of time for this group of hackers.

[Quantus]

They (NSA) also allegedly left a back door in Microsoft computers running the secure boot firmware that was found by a security annalist.  I also read it might also affect some full disk encryption programs. The worst part is they can't close it. If you own a MS phone or tablet Secure boot can't be disabled leaving you vulnerable to attack.

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If the hackers were after money they would have sold these tools already to the highest bidder. With each passing day they are worth less and less.  It's more likely this was a warning to the US government to back the fuck off. ("We have your toys and if we release them everyone will know you've been attacking your own citizens and allies with these tools. So back the fuck off or else! ")

[NorrisK]

3. NSA won't do shit . (which is the thing likely to happen in this case)

normally when a federal agency is involved, nobody will pay any ransom....
and we are talking about NSA: they could reach "anyone" so it's only a matter of time for this group of hackers.

The government will say that to the public indeed. "We don't pay ransom to terrorists", but you don't know what happens behind closed doors and guess what, bitcoin makes dealing with them suddenly quite easy. Saying stuff and actions are a completely different thing.

Then again, I don't believe the NSA will ever pay the hackers. They will more likely focus all their efforts to rehack the hackers or something or figure out who they are somehow if they left even the slightest trace.

Especially absurd ransoms like 1 million bitcoin are almost impossible to be met (there is not enough liquid bitcoin to get this at a "normal" price). 

[asriloni]

3. NSA won't do shit . (which is the thing likely to happen in this case)

I doubt that they even pay the hackers because of the bad publicity of it. NSA is not a small company (like that hospital that was hacked a while ago) to get hacked and pay the hackers to make it go away.
it is the freaking National Security Agency they can not just pay the hackers off

even they pay the hacker doesn't guarantee that the hacker won't delete the files or even they'll keep it up to do another hacking,paying the hackers mean NSA supporting the hacker to keep up with their shady activities and it's not good at all,the hackers will buy more advanced tools to hack like a good specification computer or even making a group with the money

[cryptodevil]

1. Satoshi Nakamoto is NSA and he is going to pay the 1 million Bitcoin.
2. NSA will buy 1 million Bitcoin and give us a nice increase in the price.
3. NSA won't do shit . (which is the thing likely to happen in this case)

You've got the wrong end of the stick. They aren't blackmailing the NSA, they are selling the tech. Well, according to what little is currently known, but that is the gist of their 1million bitcoin reference.

[X-ray]

first,i think the hacker is such a genius that could hack the NSA's security even it's an organization backed up by the government especially one of the stronger countries or just say one of the biggest,by selling these stuff,i guess they're just only seeking for a problem,the government will try to find them,maybe they will have so many money if they succesfully selling those stuff but think again about the risk

[Mast0rmind]

So yeah , It seems like a group associated with the NSA has been hacked "Equation-group" => http://fossbytes.com/nsa-hacked-by-shadow-brokers-equation-group/

The hacking group has  leaked some private hacking tools and exploits. The hackers are also asking for 1 million bitcoin (about $568 million) in an auction to release all the files.

Here are my three scenarios :

1. Satoshi Nakamoto is NSA and he is going to pay the 1 million Bitcoin.
2. NSA will buy 1 million Bitcoin and give us a nice increase in the price.
3. NSA won't do shit . (which is the thing likely to happen in this case)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKKHSAE1gIs

[OmegaStarScream]

3. NSA won't do shit . (which is the thing likely to happen in this case)

normally when a federal agency is involved, nobody will pay any ransom....
and we are talking about NSA: they could reach "anyone" so it's only a matter of time for this group of hackers.

The government will say that to the public indeed. "We don't pay ransom to terrorists", but you don't know what happens behind closed doors and guess what, bitcoin makes dealing with them suddenly quite easy. Saying stuff and actions are a completely different thing.

Then again, I don't believe the NSA will ever pay the hackers. They will more likely focus all their efforts to rehack the hackers or something or figure out who they are somehow if they left even the slightest trace.

Especially absurd ransoms like 1 million bitcoin are almost impossible to be met (there is not enough liquid bitcoin to get this at a "normal" price). 

It doesn't make it easy since the amount is big honestly , I mean how could the NSA buy that amount (assuming that they don't have it already) without no one knowing about ? they could make it silently but It will take them some time to get that amount.

In the other hand , even If they manage to get that amount I'm pretty sure hackers will say that NSA paid them so It's impossible to be done "behind the scenes" .

They (NSA) also allegedly left a back door in Microsoft computers running the secure boot firmware that was found by a security annalist.  I also read it might also affect some full disk encryption programs. The worst part is they can't close it. If you own a MS phone or tablet Secure boot can't be disabled leaving you vulnerable to attack.

-------

If the hackers were after money they would have sold these tools already to the highest bidder. With each passing day they are worth less and less.  It's more likely this was a warning to the US government to back the fuck off. ("We have your toys and if we release them everyone will know you've been attacking your own citizens and allies with these tools. So back the fuck off or else! ")

They could sell them for sure but I don't think they will get half billion for it so that's why they are looking for NSA to buy it back.
As for the warning , both Wikileaks & Edward Snowden made everyone on the world understand that U.S government spy on everyone so I don't think we would need more proof for that.

[Schuyler]

It seems that nowadays nobody is safe from hacking anymore. Even the agencies that you think are unhackable are being targeted left and right. Maybe they are trying to make a statement by doing that. If what they want is money, they could target big financial institutions instead, although information is really something that could command a good price.

[alpesvillage]

So yeah , It seems like a group associated with the NSA has been hacked "Equation-group" => http://fossbytes.com/nsa-hacked-by-shadow-brokers-equation-group/

The hacking group has  leaked some private hacking tools and exploits. The hackers are also asking for 1 million bitcoin (about $568 million) in an auction to release all the files.

Here are my three scenarios :

1. Satoshi Nakamoto is NSA and he is going to pay the 1 million Bitcoin.
2. NSA will buy 1 million Bitcoin and give us a nice increase in the price.
3. NSA won't do shit . (which is the thing likely to happen in this case)

I prefer 3, the group may be a joke, i mean they spread fake news. But 2nd choice is the best for us. BTC huge pump 

[Lauda]

1. Satoshi Nakamoto is NSA and he is going to pay the 1 million Bitcoin.

That's just pure nonsense

2. NSA will buy 1 million Bitcoin and give us a nice increase in the price.

I highly doubt that, and it would be really hard to purchase 1 million Bitcoin in a short amount of time (especially without pushing the price insanely high).

3. NSA won't do shit . (which is the thing likely to happen in this case)

Let's see how this one unfolds.
I don't see why this is bad publicity for Bitcoin. When someone demands a ransom to be paid in dollars, nobody bats an eye. When someone demands a ransom to be paid in Bitcoin, everyone loses their mind.

[X-ray]

I don't see why this is bad publicity for Bitcoin. When someone demands a ransom to be paid in dollars, nobody bats an eye. When someone demands a ransom to be paid in Bitcoin, everyone loses their mind.

i'm sure the media make it,bitcoin as for now already marked as a bad things by few dumb people and they keep spreading to their nearest people
it's such a double standard by media,when criminal uses dollars it's very common and not the currency's mistake,but when criminal uses bitcoin,it's bitcoin's mistake even bitcoin don't have brain and can't spend itself

[btvGainer]

Here are my three scenarios :

1. Satoshi Nakamoto is NSA and he is going to pay the 1 million Bitcoin.
2. NSA will buy 1 million Bitcoin and give us a nice increase in the price.

If that is true,it is a good news as bitcoin will rise above $1000 for sure

3. NSA won't do shit . (which is the thing likely to happen in this case)

I doubt if it is even true.There Is no official word on it and it could just be a rumour

[Kanishk]

Here are my three scenarios :

1. Satoshi Nakamoto is NSA and he is going to pay the 1 million Bitcoin.
2. NSA will buy 1 million Bitcoin and give us a nice increase in the price.

If that is true,it is a good news as bitcoin will rise above $1000 for sure

3. NSA won't do shit . (which is the thing likely to happen in this case)

I doubt if it is even true.There Is no official word on it and it could just be a rumour

I guess they have already paid 1 Million : https://blockexplorer.com/address/1MFXYK1XucKFfhPhW9HDHD3vsM9BKey4qm

Check out the above link! I am not sure if it is true or not!

[Lauda]

i'm sure the media make it,bitcoin as for now already marked as a bad things by few dumb people and they keep spreading to their nearest people
it's such a double standard by media,when criminal uses dollars it's very common and not the currency's mistake,but when criminal uses bitcoin,it's bitcoin's mistake even bitcoin don't have brain and can't spend itself

It is obvious that the media (or the people backing it anyway) tends to use this for manipulative purposes. However, that does not mean that we need to succumb to that. This does not paint a bad image for Bitcoin; if it did, it could have been a set-up all along anyways.

I guess they have already paid 1 Million : https://blockexplorer.com/address/1MFXYK1XucKFfhPhW9HDHD3vsM9BKey4qm Check out the above link! I am not sure if it is true or not!

You obviously have no idea what you're talking about. That blockchain explorer is showing false information, it should be:
Total Received: ~ 122,482 BTC. This has been confirmed on Blockchain.info and blocktrail. In addition to that, we are talking about ~14k transactions that have likely nothing to do with this incident. Even if the total received was 1 million BTC, that still does not mean that 1 Million BTC was there (someone could inflate this number).

[bryant.coleman]

I guess they have already paid 1 Million : https://blockexplorer.com/address/1MFXYK1XucKFfhPhW9HDHD3vsM9BKey4qm

Check out the above link! I am not sure if it is true or not!

As Lauda pointed out, this wrong data is displayed due to a bug in blockexplorer. Check blockchain.info:

https://blockchain.info/address/1MFXYK1XucKFfhPhW9HDHD3vsM9BKey4qm

Most probably, this wallet belongs to some mining group, and you can see regular payments being done for the past many months.

[110110101]

.....
3. NSA won't do shit . (which is the thing likely to happen in this case)

If they were in fact hacked, they could simply post a bounty for $10 Million to anyone who can point out where the hackers are, and deploy the black helicopters.

[European Central Bank]

We're not talking about the local police department.

If this is a genuine hack then they'll treat it like a training exercise and go after them.

You can bet your ass that no money is gonna change hands.