https://medium.com/@movrcx/russian-crossfire-on-the-tor-project-ec65b7b8b52f
Russian Crossfire on the Tor Project Welcome to the first quarter of 2017. The Ruskies have successfully completed a major full-scope information operation aimed at installing the next leader of the free world. And it’s no secret; numerous top cyber-security firms have placed direct attribution of the attack on the combined Russian Intelligence Services using the Tor network to mask their point of origin. As a shocked and dazed United States regains its consciousness we can expect to see direct measures to mitigate this breed of cyberattacks in the near future. This response will lead to increased surveillance/compromise of Tor network infrastructure and leaves common Tor users caught in the midst of cyberwarfare. In today’s cyberwar, Tor exit nodes represent the front line of battle. At this location it is possible to directly observe attacks, to launch attacks, and to even gather intelligence. An alarming figure disclosed by The Intercept’s Micah Lee attributed 40% of the network addresses used in the Grizzly Steppe campaign are Tor exit nodes. And this is not a good thing. The concept of collateral damage does not escape the reality of cyber warfare. We can expect Tor users to be impacted tremendously as cyber frontlines are militarized. Those users seeking refuge within the Tor network can expect to be caught in the crossfire with no end in sight. The funding and resources that will be used to increase capabilities with regard to Tor networking will be tremendous. We can expect massive IDS arrays to capture traffic on the wire or even as native exit nodes. Additionally we can expect nation-states to operate a larger proportion of exit nodes as they allow for significantly enhanced information operation capabilities versus line tapping. We can also expect to see additional research on executing de-cloaking attacks against both hidden services and end-users. Some of this research may be done openly and in public but for sure not all of it will be. Ultimately the weaponization and militarization of the Tor network by Russian cyber aggressors will leave a large pool of human refugees with no home. It’s 2017. Welcome to the frontlines comrade. -- tor-talk mailing list - tor-talk@lists.torproject.org To unsubscribe or change other settings go to https://lists.torproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tor-talk