Snowden Blames NSA For Global Cyber Attack

May 14th, 2017

Awake Goy

Edward Snowden blames NSA for global malware attack

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden says the National Security Agency are to blame for the recent cyber attack that caused chaos in nearly 100 countries.

Just one day after President Trump signed an executive order designed to improve America’s national security against such attacks, Snowden hit out at the NSA claiming they should be held responsible for the Ransomware cyber-attack that shut down hospitals in the UK – putting thousands of patients’ lives at risk.

First question arise in Congress after @NSAGov‘s attack tools—which officials promised “nobody but us” could use—shut down hospitals in UK. https://t.co/YVAMd1SA3U

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 13, 2017

Just hours after the attack, Snowden claims that it could have all been prevented if the NSA hadn’t been so eager to illegally spy on citizens.

The whistleblower tweeted, “Whoa: @NSAGov decision to build attack tools targeting US software now threatens the lives of hospital patients,” hinting that it was a leaked NSA cyberwar tool, which brought down the UK’s hospital system.

Whoa: @NSAGov decision to build attack tools targeting US software now threatens the lives of hospital patients. https://t.co/HXRV9uYOuU

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 12, 2017

Thefreethoughtproject.com reports: Pinning the blame on the NSA, he then tweeted, “Despite warnings, @NSAGov built dangerous attack tools that could target Western software. Today we see the cost:”

Despite warnings, @NSAGov built dangerous attack tools that could target Western software. Today we see the cost: https://t.co/u6J3bcHnXE

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 12, 2017

Graham Cluley, a computer security expert, agrees with Snowden, saying, “The US intelligence agency found a security hole in Microsoft software and rather than doing the decent thing and contacting Microsoft they kept it to themselves and exploited it for the purposes of spying. Then they themselves got hacked. And it was at that point Microsoft thought, ‘Jesus we need to patch against this thing’.”

Still acting as the patriot he claims to be, Snowden then called on Congress to call the NSA to the carpet and demand they acknowledge, address, and shore up vulnerabilities in other systems. He said in a tweet, “In light of today’s attack, Congress needs to be asking @NSAgov if it knows of any other vulnerabilities in software used in our hospitals.”

In light of today’s attack, Congress needs to be asking @NSAgov if it knows of any other vulnerabilities in software used in our hospitals.

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 12, 2017

Not mincing words, the whistleblower — who some have called a traitor — tweeted, “If @NSAGov had privately disclosed the flaw used to attack hospitals when they *found* it, not when they lost it, this may not have happened.”

If @NSAGov had privately disclosed the flaw used to attack hospitals when they *found* it, not when they lost it, this may not have happened https://t.co/lhApAqB5j3

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 12, 2017

The blame, according to Snowden, lies within the NSA and could have been prevented. He elaborated in his follow-up tweet. The former NSA contractor said the government agency should have approached the hospital systems privately and revealed the Microsoft Windows vulnerability years ago, instead of letting the tool fall into the wrong hands and jeopardize lives.

He tweeted, “This is a special case. Had @NSAGov disclosed the vuln[erability] when they discovered it, hospitals would have had years — not months — to prepare.”

This is a special case. Had @NSAGov disclosed the vuln when they discovered it, hospitals would have had years — not months — to prepare. https://t.co/HJj1TsfQYn

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 12, 2017

While it’s true that Microsoft is no longer providing updates and patches to its Windows XP platform, Snowden implied the security agency had a fiduciary responsibility to shore up any and all known vulnerabilities within XP. He tweeted, “If NSA builds a weapon to attack Windows XP—which Microsoft refuses to patches—and it falls into enemy hands, should NSA write a patch?”

If NSA builds a weapon to attack Windows XP—which Microsoft refuses to patches—and it falls into enemy hands, should NSA write a patch? https://t.co/TUTtmc2aU9

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 12, 2017

Some might say Snowden’s last suggestion makes a lot of sense. Microsoft could have continued support for its aging platform, but when it didn’t, the NSA could have stepped in and provided such a security patch. Or, at the very least, informed people of the flaw.

Once again, Snowden’s words appear to haunt his former employer. In the ground shaking documentary, Citizenfour (2014), Snowden went on camera to tell the world just how powerful the NSA’s systems were, and to warn all Americans and world citizens alike of the dangers of cyber-warfare.

Only now is the world beginning to see, arguably, just how true his predictions would become. The switch has been flipped and the world is at war. The only problem is, no one knows precisely who is pulling the switches. But according to Snowden, the NSA knows how to fix it.