CIA Prepping For Possible Cyber Strike Against Russia (nbcnews.com)

Slashdot reader schwit1 reports that the Obama administration "is contemplating an unprecedented cyber covert action against Russia in retaliation for alleged Russian interference in the American presidential election," according to U.S. intelligence officials who spoke to NBC News: Current and former officials with direct knowledge of the situation say the CIA has been asked to deliver options to the White House for a wide-ranging "clandestine" cyber operation designed to harass and "embarrass" the Kremlin leadership. The sources did not elaborate on the exact measures the CIA was considering, but said the agency had already begun opening cyber doors, selecting targets and making other preparations for an operation. Former intelligence officers told NBC News that the agency had gathered reams of documents that could expose unsavory tactics by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Vice President Joe Biden told "Meet the Press" moderator Chuck Todd on Friday that "we're sending a message" to Putin and that "it will be at the time of our choosing, and under the circumstances that will have the greatest impact." When asked if the American public will know a message was sent, the vice president replied, "Hope not."
Not mounting a response would weaken U.S. credibility, one senior U.S. official said, while others said hundreds of millions of dollars has been allocated to the team mounting the attacks. Thursday US officials familiar with the investigation told CNN there was "mounting evidence" that Russia was supplying leaked emails to WikiLeaks, and last week in a conference call organized by the Clinton campaign, former Acting CIA Director Mike Morrell said it was "absolutely clear... WikiLeaks and Guccifer 2 are working with the Russians on this."

Comments

Re:For them theoretically hacking a private org?

[Anonymous Coward]

Just because YOU haven't seen the evidence doesn't mean such evidence doesn't exist.

Re:Don't vote for the Underwoods

[Boronx]

Welcome to Slashdot, where unhinged ranting is modded insightful.

Re:For them theoretically hacking a private org?

[Anonymous Coward]

If you're claiming that evidence exists, then the burden of proof falls on you.

If no evidence is forthcoming, then your claim is baseless. We owe it to ourselves to demand proof before stirring the pudding. Especially after Iraq.

How soon we forget.

You are an absolute idiot if you think every bit of Intel we get should be public knowledge. Are you still living in a dorm or have you moved back into your mother's basement?

Re:For them theoretically hacking a private org?

[meta-monkey]

So we should trust the government? They wouldn't lie to us, right? It's not like the worst US military diasters in history, the Vietnam War and the Iraq war, were started based on false pretenses or anything. Yes, let's just fucking nuke Russia because THE GOVERNMENT WOULDN'T LIE TO YOU YOU FUCKING COCK GOBBLING FAGGOT.

Re: For them theoretically hacking a private org?

[PopeRatzo]

So can you link me to the proof then, you bloodthirsty warmongering faggot?

There is no proof that would satisfy you because it does not fit your agenda.

http://www.bbc.com/news/techno...

"On the basis of what we've looked at, we certainly believe that there's a connection to the Equation Group malware," said David Emm, Kaspersky's principal security researcher, told the BBC.
"I've thought from the very beginning that it was real," added Mikko Hypponen at security company F-Secure.