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The Hack Back: A Double-Edged Sword

Global cyberattacks like Mirai, WannaCry and Petya have left victims feeling helpless and eager to gain back the data they’ve lost at the hands of cybercriminals. This modern threat landscape has everyone looking towards new solutions and strategies—any way they can help protect others while staying secure themselves. So, it’s no surprise that the idea of the “hack back” is gaining some traction. The hack back, a notion that came to light in various congressional proposals that are intended to put tools in the hands of victims to identify alleged attackers, halt an alleged attack, and potentially recover or delete stolen information.

This legislation, first proposed back in May, features policies intended to empower victims of a cyberattack, while still trying to ensure accountability. It states a mandatory reporting requirement for entities that use active-defense techniques, which is intended to help federal law enforcement ensure defenders use these tools responsibly. It also includes an exemption allowing the recovery or destruction of one’s own data if it’s located using the active-defense techniques permitted by this bill and does not result in the destruction of data belonging to another person.

While the objective of the legislation is laudable, helping companies improve their ability to defend themselves, we have to consider some of its risks that could include actions that may well cause damage to parties that either innocently were part of an attack, or through false flag operations that have no direct involvement. For instance, we’ve recently seen that the emerging intent from many attackers is to point the source of attacks to another party, such as was witnessed during the Operation Troy attacks. The use of hacking back in this scenario would have caused damage to a third party.

Our approach, and one we would recommend to others, is to take direct action against malicious actors by utilizing the expertise of law enforcement. A strong partnership between the public and private sector to hold cybercriminals accountable is essential in maintaining a safer society. So, if you do undergo a cyberattack, your first action should be contacting the authorities immediately. From there, experts will handle the situation in a way that ensures safety for all innocent parties involved.

There is a lesson to be learned from the notion of hacking back, however. Instead of hacking back, rather learn how to think like a hacker in order to identify cyberattacks and flag them before the damage is done. By thinking proactively, the need to take reactive measures lessens and the power shifts back to where it belongs: with you.

For more information on fighting back against hackers, read McAfee Labs’ latest Quarterly Threats Report and be sure to follow us at @McAfee and @McAfee_Labs.

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