Tailored Access Operations: Top-Secret NSA Cyber Warfare Unit
Tailored Access Operations: Top-Secret NSA Cyber Warfare Unit
The Tailored Access Operations unit was formed in the late 90’s, when it had a different name. It wasn’t named TAO until the early 2000’s. It is reportedly the largest component in the Signals Intelligence Directorate of the NSA, consisting of more than a 1000 military and civilian hackers, computer hard- and software designers as well as electrical engineers and intelligence analysts. They specialize in cyber warfare and cyber espionage, as well as attacking systems that are foreign to the US. The equation group, which is a Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), is linked to this very branch within the NSA.
00:00 Intro
01:14 Internet of Things
02:27 Advanced Persistent Threat
03:25 Tactics and Procedures
04:38 Tailored Access Operations
08:57 Operations
09:10 Stuxnet
11:19 Shadow Brokers
12:57 Outro
*correction: the F35 fighter jet wasn't flying for 24 hours, of course. It was flying on it's own for some time (around 60 miles) before it crashed and was retrieved 24 hours later not far from the actual base.