As recently as early 2019, a group of senior Western intel chiefs met and concluded digital dust has made it impossible to protect intel officers' identities 100 percent of the time. "We still haven't figured out this problem," an attendee told us.
-
-
Prikaži ovu nit
-
“We haven’t acknowledged it organizationally within CIA, and some are still in denial. The debate is like the one surrounding climate change. Anyone who says otherwise just isn’t looking at the facts," said another former senior CIA officer.
Prikaži ovu nit -
Everyone had their own idea of when the tide changed. However, many remembered the Milan rendition exposed by Italian investigators and journalists like
@matthewacole as a "Come to Jesus" moment.Prikaži ovu nit -
Operating overseas only grew more tricky. As early as 20 years ago, Singapore had a labyrinthine panopticon where airport data, taxicab data, hotel data, and more were all combined and any irregularities triggered a security alert. "They had everything so wired.”
Prikaži ovu nit -
A huge target for intelligence services? Airport biometric data. I've seen it myself, you can't get into Abu Dhabi or Dubai without your face being scanned. “The Chinese have consistently extracted data from all the major transit hubs in the world."
Prikaži ovu nit -
We also obtained the Pentagon's pre-Christmas letter warning service-members not to use off-the-shelf DNA kits for fears of "mass surveillance." We did a separate story on that and incorporated it into this one.https://www.yahoo.com/news/pentagon-warns-military-members-dna-kits-pose-personal-and-operational-risks-173304318.html …
Prikaži ovu nit -
The U.S. trained allied services on how use software to identify false passports and other documentation. They also thought about inserting a secret backdoor into that software.
Prikaži ovu nit -
By the early 2010s, adversaries were learning about the dangers too, particularly after the U.S. covert communications system was compromised. (A story we broke here just over a year ago: https://news.yahoo.com/cias-communications-suffered-catastrophic-compromise-started-iran-090018710.html …)
Prikaži ovu nit -
By the early 2010s, Chinese intelligence operatives started adopting old-school Russian-style tradecraft, like dead drops in the woods or “brush passes,” which involve surreptitiously exchanging objects in a public place, says one former senior intelligence official.
Prikaži ovu nit -
This conclusion is spaced throughout the piece, but the thing we heard most frequently is that alias work is damn near over. Now, you have to hide in plain sight, using your real name.
Prikaži ovu nit -
There's a lot in the piece on NOCs, undercover officers who don't have diplomatic immunity. The program has fluctuated in importance over the years, but there have constantly been debates within the community about whether the risk is worth it for the cost.
Prikaži ovu nit -
Complaints following a post 9/11 NOC boom reported by
@KenDilanianNBC have only resurfaced, this time as more and more people are embedded in technology, finance, and other corporate locales. Language issues, recruitment problems. We heard of at least one approaching Congress.Prikaži ovu nit -
We go into detail on programs never reported on in depth before, including Diversified Cover Officers and the FBI's National Security Recruitment Program.
Prikaži ovu nit -
The FBI's major program for designing cover, Stagehand, was blown in very damaging fashion. One of the craziest things in the story.pic.twitter.com/YKfG8lFh9d
Prikaži ovu nit -
The latter half of the piece includes a lot of new info about the outsourcing of intel to the private sector, and the close ties that exist. This is big, and I don't think the American public knows enough about it.pic.twitter.com/5EnPYAjHgi
Prikaži ovu nit -
There's also plenty about interagency discussions on this topic, attempts within the agency to address it. One person said Brennan's introduction of a directorate focused on digital issues was strongly needed and perhaps years overdue.pic.twitter.com/1wSEUHX00t
Prikaži ovu nit -
There's a whole interesting section here about how social media has impacted recruitment and internal policies, particularly as young people enter intelligence work.
Prikaži ovu nit -
Multiple people told us the CIA considers a Facebook friendship a "close and continuing" relationship for clearance purposes.
Prikaži ovu nit -
There's lots more, and things we had to cut, so please, take a read over your vacation! Goes great with coffee and Bailey's. Feel free to send us notes and ask us questions.
Prikaži ovu nit
Kraj razgovora
Novi razgovor -
Čini se da učitavanje traje već neko vrijeme.
Twitter je možda preopterećen ili ima kratkotrajnih poteškoća u radu. Pokušajte ponovno ili potražite dodatne informacije u odjeljku Status Twittera.