Cybersecurity

What you need to know about that latest NSA data dump

A group of hackers released on Friday what appears to be the most extensive data dump from the National Security Agency.

The hack could have consequences for the relationship between big software companies and the U.S. government and could make it harder for Europe to trust the U.S. to respect privacy agreements.

Experts believe the hacker group behind the leak, Shadow Brokers, is connected with the Russian government. The group has released stolen information from the NSA before.

If documents released by the hack are authentic, it would show that the NSA has compromised a Dubai-based firm that routes bank transfers between countries. The hack also revealed how to break into Microsoft software. Here’s a more detailed explainer from George Washington University professor Henry Farrell.