Iqembu labaduni iShadow Brokers lithole amathuluzi okugebenga ngo-2017, okuholele ezenzakalweni eziningi ezinkulu emhlabeni jikelele, okuhlanganisa nokuhlasela okukhulu kusetshenziswa i-WannaCry ransomware. Leli qembu kubikwa ukuthi lebe amathuluzi okugebenga e-US National Security Agency, kodwa akucaci ukuthi likwenze kanjani lokhu. Manje sekuyaziwa ukuthi ochwepheshe be-Symantec benze ukuhlaziya, okusekelwe kulokho okungacatshangwa ukuthi amathuluzi okugebenga abiwe ku-NSA ngama-ejenti wezobunhloli baseShayina.
I-Symantec inqume ukuthi iqembu labagebengu i-Buckeye, okukholakala ukuthi lisebenzela uMnyango Wezokuphepha Kombuso wase-China, belisebenzisa amathuluzi e-NSA ngonyaka ngaphambi kwesigameko sokuqala se-Shadow Brokers. Ochwepheshe beSymantec bakholelwa ukuthi iqembu leBuckeye lithole amathuluzi okugebenga ngesikhathi sokuhlasela kwe-NSA, okwathi ngemva kwalokho ashintshwa.
Lo mbiko uphinde uthi kungenzeka ukuthi abaduni beBuckeye bayathinteka, njengoba izikhulu ze-NSA zake zasho phambilini ukuthi leli qembu lingelinye layingozi kakhulu. Phakathi kwezinye izinto, uBuckeye wayebhekene nokuhlaselwa kwabakhiqizi bezobuchwepheshe basemkhathini baseMelika nezinye izinkampani zamandla. Ochwepheshe be-Symantec bathi amathuluzi e-NSA ashintshiwe asetshenziselwa ukuhlasela izinhlangano zocwaningo, izikhungo zemfundo nezinye izikhungo zengqalasizinda ezivela emhlabeni wonke.
I-Symantec ikholelwa ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokuthi izikhungo zezobunhloli zaseMelika zicabangele ngokungathi sΓna ukuthi kungenzeka yini ukuthi amathuluzi athuthukiswe e-United States abanjwe futhi asetshenziswe ngokumelene nezwe laseMelika. Kuphinde kwaphawulwa ukuthi i-Symantec ayikwazanga ukuthola noma yibuphi ubufakazi bokuthi abaduni be-Buckeye basebenzisa amathuluzi antshontshiwe ku-NSA ukuze bahlasele okuhlosiwe okutholakala e-United States.