Snowden: NSA has a secret program that automatically hacks back against enemy targets
Wired is out with a major cover story this morning featuring former NSA contractor Edward Snowden clutching a giant American flag. In it, Snowden uncovers knowledge about an NSA program known as MonsterMind, which, if true, could signal a big step in how the U.S. government traces cyberattacks back to their source.
MonsterMind can reportedly analyze incoming malware and block it, according to Wired. But the real power lies in MonsterMind's other capability: It's reportedly capable of hacking back at targets automatically:
Instead of simply detecting and killing the malware at the point of entry, MonsterMind would automatically fire back, with no human involvement.
The idea of a computer program that can fight back may sound like "Terminator"-level stuff. In reality, information security scholars say, it's rarely so simple.
