Security firms sometimes wreck FBI investigations. Here’s how.
Publishing research about hackers can boost a cybersecurity firm’s reputation but muddle the hard work of federal law enforcement agencies — and it appears that the problem is likely to get worse. Some threat intelligence reports from cybersecurity companies are thorough enough (and public enough) that they can completely disrupt government-led cyber investigations, say industry experts, former law enforcement and intelligence officials. The issue comes up at least “every few months,” said James Trainor, a former assistant director for the FBI’s Cyber Division. Trainor and other officials who spoke to CyberScoop declined to name specific companies or incidents, but they agree that the potential for trouble is only increasing. “The industry isn’t privy to classified ops or government investigations, so this happens,” explained Synack co-founder and former NSA analyst Mark Kuhr. “They are asked to hold information sometimes if the government catches wind, but a lot of times the government simply doesn’t know or firms […]
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