Risky Bulletin Srsly Risky Biz: Peter Williams, Ex-ASD, Pleads Guilty to Selling Eight Exploits to Russia
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Oct 30, 2025 Peter Williams admits guilt for selling exploits to a Russian broker, raising alarm bells in the cybersecurity community. The hosts explore why trusting the private sector for exploit development remains crucial despite this incident. They discuss the varied missions of agencies like the NSA and FBI, highlighting distinct needs for exploit usage. The conversation also touches on the impact of budget cuts on national cybersecurity efforts and the ongoing challenges of leak response. Finally, they review a commission's call to bolster the Office of the National Cyber Director, stressing its importance amid reduced agency capabilities.
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Insider Who Moved From ASD To Trenchant
- Peter Williams, former general manager at Trenchant, pleaded guilty to selling exploits to Operation Zero.
- Tom Uren notes Williams previously worked at ASD before joining the private exploit firm that became Trenchant.
Different Agencies Need Different Exploits
- Centralizing exploit development solely inside government is impractical because many agencies have different missions and needs.
- Different priorities and targets make one-size-fits-all stewardship of capabilities unmanageable.
Intelligence Versus Law Enforcement Tradeoffs
- Law enforcement and intelligence use exploits for fundamentally different purposes and risk profiles.
- NSA values long-term stealth while FBI requires evidentiary usage that may expose capabilities.