Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

NSA Says It Foiled Plot To Destroy US Economy Through Malware

Posted by timothy on from the big-brother-says-he's-got-your-back dept.

mrspoonsi writes "Business Insider Reports: The National Security Agency described for the first time a cataclysmic cyber threat it claims to have stopped On Sunday's '60 Minutes.' Called a BIOS attack, the exploit would have ruined, or 'bricked,' computers across the country, causing untold damage to the national and even global economy. Even more shocking, CBS goes as far as to point a finger directly at China for the plot — 'While the NSA would not name the country behind it, cyber security experts briefed on the operation told us it was China.' The NSA says it closed this vulnerability by working with computer manufacturers. Debora Plunkett, director of cyber defense for the NSA: One of our analysts actually saw that the nation state had the intention to develop and to deliver — to actually use this capability — to destroy computers."

6 of 698 comments (clear)

  1. It's obviously false. by QilessQi · · Score: 5, Funny

    the exploit would have ruined, or 'bricked,' computers across the country, causing untold damage to the national and even global economy

    Sorry, I'm not buying it. Despite the NSA's best efforts, Microsoft did release Vista.

    --
    Koans and fables for the software engineer
  2. You can't prove I didn't! by thatkid_2002 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I routinely stop alien invasions. Their lazors are no match for my hands (and let's not mention my other weapon... in my pants).

    Your move NSA - what have you done lately?

  3. Re:in other news by paiute · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe one part of the NSA wrote the malware and another part found out about it and stopped them.

    --
    If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
  4. Re:NSA failed to halt subprime lending, though. by number6x · · Score: 5, Funny

    The NSA probably commissioned some vendor to write a key-logger that would install in a computer's BIOS. They probably paid billions of dollars for development and research.

    Then they tested it on a few computers and the NSA malware bricked them all.

    So the NSA canceled the project, saving America from a malware threat that would have tanked the economy. See how diligently they work to save Americans from cyber threats?

    Next week they'll stimulate the economy by breaking everyone's windows (pun intended).

  5. Re:NSA failed to halt subprime lending, though. by SuricouRaven · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's what you get for outsourcing your propaganda to the private sector.

  6. Re:NSA failed to halt subprime lending, though. by dAzED1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    you don't understand - they secretly patched everyone's machines, so now we're all safe. It's all good!