A Russian Cybersecurity Firm Helped Catch An Alleged NSA Data Leaker

The leaker behind one of NSA’s largest data breaches in history might have been captured with the help of a Russian cybersecurity firm that is considered a national security threat by the US government.

Politico’s exclusive report disclosed that Kaspersky Lab, a security firm based in Moscow, Russia, turned those Twitter messages sent by Harold T. Martin III in 2016 over.

Martin who used to work as the National Security Administration’s contractor was able to access top secret documents from the hacking group of the agency. He was charged with stealing NSA’s hacking tools. These hacking tools were then used in massive hacks which includes the WannaCry ransomware attack.

In a court filing in December, it is said that Martin used the account @HAL_99999999 to reach out on Twitter and ask for a meeting. He wrote, “shelf life, three weeks."

Although the court documents did not reveal the receiver of those messages, Politico discloses that they were sent to Kaspersky Lab’s researchers who then turned them over to the US government.

In August 2016, after getting a warrant formed on those Twitter messages, the FBI agents could search Martin’s house. If convicted, he will face a charge of over 10 years.

Kaspersky Lab declined to give any comment on this case. When being asked, the Department of Justice also did not respond.

There has been a tense relationship going on between Kaspersky Lab and the US government. The cybersecurity company has been accused by federal agencies as well as lawmakers of partnering with the government of Russia.

The accusation has caused the dropping of Kaspersky in multiple countries which include the UK and the Netherlands. In response to this accusation, Kaspersky Lab has denied it and argued that the US agency has not held any evidence proving its connection to the Kremlin.

Martin’s lawyers claimed that there was no probable cause from FBI to have a search warrant just based on those Twitter messages.

At a hearing, Martin’s attorneys argued that the copies of the digital evidence that the US government has seized from the former NSA contractor have not been provided.

In a letter, a judge of a US district court, Richard Bennett, wrote that only if Martin was determined to have opened those sensitive documents, will the government need to provide the copies of digital evidence. The letter is provided below: