It appears US spies are using targeted hacking tools in their investigations. The surprise: That could mean your data is safer.
Julian Assange of WikiLeaks during a live-streamed press conference on Thursday. CIA hacking tools described in documents released by WikiLeaks are actually a good sign, privacy experts say.
In all this talk of a CIA hacking playbook, is there a silver lining? Privacy advocates seem to think so.
That might surprise you. Nothing makes a person feel vulnerable in quite the same way as hearing that everyday electronics are being turned into spy devices. And that’s exactly what we heard Tuesday, when WikiLeaks published thousands of documents that appeared to reveal CIA tools for hacking into computers, phones and even smart TVs. CNET is unable to verify whether the documents are real or have been altered.
Still, the news prompted Edward Snowden to post on Twitter , « It may not feel like it, but computer security is getting better. »
Come again?
Here’s the idea: If CIA spies are spending their time hacking the phones of suspected terrorists or foreign spies, that means they aren’t relying on spy programs that are much more intrusive and essentially hack the entire internet.
After the release of thousands of alleged CIA documents by WikiLeaks, tech companies like Apple and Samsung have responded.
