LA Times: Snowden Had 3 Helpers Inside NSA

retroworks writes "Three people at the National Security Agency have been implicated in Edward Snowden's efforts to copy classified material, including a civilian employee who resigned last month after acknowledging he allowed Snowden to use his computer ID, according to an NSA memo sent to Congress. The other two were an active-duty member of the military and a civilian contractor. The memo does not describe their conduct, but says they were barred from the NSA and its systems in August."

Comments

How many others?

[davecb]

In an organization as large as the NSA, how many

• - sysadmins have left with saleable information in their pockets
• - actual spies have shipped data to <enemy of the week>
• - ordinary staff have oopsed and let data leak

Mr Snowdon is the tip of the iceberg!

Exactly

[Anonymous Coward]

People have taken their freedom for granted for so long, they don't see any of the NSA spying as a threat. As far as I can see, most folks in the general public are quite confident that this only applies to the terrorists. I was hoping that because this happened under Obama's watch, Fox News and the Talk Radio guys would keep beating it home, but no,, they're still going after Obamacare and Benghazi.

This is where the Republicans can shine and be the party of Freedom but instead they're wasting time on BS issues.

In 2016, we will see a normal election. The issues will be "entitlement" programs (without ever naming the real money sucker: Medicare because it's for all those old people - even the Tea Partiers wont touch it.), abortion, taxes, gay marriage.

We'll have people who like to fool themselves into thinking they're informed and they will listen intently on the platforms of the candidates.

I don't know why because when they get into office, they never keep their promises and they almost always toe the party line (Jimmy Carter the exception.).

It's all a popularity contest based on who can sound the best, who's taller, and other superficial things. That's why I wish our founding fathers made political service required for all citizens - no career politicians. Or at the very least, bring in term limits for the legislatures.

climate of fear in NSA will drive out normals

[Anonymous Coward]

The NSA is running a witch-hunt for anyone who thought they were innocently bending the rules for a friendly coworker. This kind of policy is how you destroy a cordial work environment. Only a certain kind of person will be left at the NSA.

Re:climate of fear in NSA will drive out normals

[Anonymous Coward]

Clearly you haven't been exposed to the freak show that is the NSA.

A man who walks around the OPS 2 cafeteria picking out uneaten food from the trash to save money and reduce food waste. A woman who keeps score of her bowel movements on the bathroom wall using smears of her poop (which admittedly I never saw for myself but female coworkers constantly complained about). A man who carries a thermometer who refuses to sit in a chair if it is above 98.6F so that he doesn't have to feel someone's body heat on his rear.

To think they gave me such a hard time during my poly and background investigation.

I can post many more examples. Working there (as a contractor) was an experience in the surreal. I couldn't handle it and left after a year and a half for NASA which is just a few miles down the BW Parkway. Much better (assuming my funding doesn't dry up... a different issue).

And don't even get me started about the code quality of which I can't really comment on. One example being that a guy argued vehemently about framing every single line individually in a try-block.

The only redeeming factor is that they really are motivated with the citizens bests interests in mind, and that is no shit (assuming you are American)... but somewhere things went horribly wrong and they diverged from that ideal. But that is the view from the bottom. I have no clue what the higher ups had in mind - but that said neither do you.