With the mysterious release of a cache of NSA hacking tools, the agency has lost an offensive advantage, experts say. (Patrick Semansky/Associated Press)To penetrate the computers of foreign targets, the National Security Agency relies on software flaws that have gone undetected in the pipes of the Internet. Several of the tools exploited flaws in commercial firewalls that remain unpatched, and they are out on the Internet for all to see. “They aren’t devices bought by two people.”Already, the firms are racing to reverse-engineer the code, identify any flaws and devise patches. Read more:Powerful NSA tools have been revealed onlineComey defends FBI’s purchase of iPhone hacking toolNSA hacking tools were leaked online.

Source: Washington Post August 17, 2016 23:26 UTC