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CIA, FBI Launch Manhunt For WikiLeaks Source (cbsnews.com)

An anonymous reader quotes CBS: CBS News has learned that a manhunt is underway for a traitor inside the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA and FBI are conducting a joint investigation into one of the worst security breaches in CIA history, which exposed thousands of top-secret documents that described CIA tools used to penetrate smartphones, smart televisions and computer systems. Sources familiar with the investigation say it is looking for an insider -- either a CIA employee or contractor -- who had physical access to the material... Much of the material was classified and stored in a highly secure section of the intelligence agency, but sources say hundreds of people would have had access to the material. Investigators are going through those names.
Homeland security expert Michael Greenberger told one CBS station that "My best guest is that when this is all said and done we're going to find out that this was done by a contractor, not by an employee of the CIA."

30 of 199 comments (clear)

  1. In Soviet USA... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...phone roots you.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re:In Soviet USA... by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Funny

      In Soviet USA, contractor got contract on *you*.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    2. Re:In Soviet USA... by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 3, Funny

      And in Soviet Russia, you hunt the CIA.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
  2. First post. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    My comments on the leaks are:

    Hahaha! Haha ha ha hahaha! Hahaha!! Ho ho hahaha! Hahahaha!

    Poetic justice feels good.

  3. Patriot by amiga3D · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They should look for someone that believes in the US Constitution as it was written, not re-interpreted. That'll be their boy. Someone appalled at how the CIA has been allowed to run amok and trample all over the freedoms guaranteed by that document.

    1. Re: Patriot by fortfive · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Isn't it funny how so many iriginalists lose their principles when it comes to the fourth, fourteenth and first amendments?

    2. Re:Patriot by quonset · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There is no privacy clause in the constitution.

      That's because Thomas, like Scalia, is an idiot. They both claimed to be "originalists" which, if they were to follow that meaning, would clearly mean the right to privacy which is covered under the 9th Amendment. The one which says, "We can't list every single right the people have so we're making this catch-all amendment to cover things. Just because we don't list it in this document doesn't mean you don't have it."

      When the crown was routinely going through people's correspondence, or barging into homes and seeing what was there, how could one not understand the Founding Fathers wanted the people to both be secure in their homes and possessions as well as have the right to privacy in their lives?

      The Constitution is a restriction on the government over the people. To not grasp that one's privacy is inherent in that limitation renders ones intelligence in doubt.

    3. Re:Patriot by StormReaver · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The biggest Traitors to the United States are on the Supreme Court, in the White House, and in Congress. Everyone who has exposed their sabotage to the Constitution is a Patriot and an American hero.

    4. Re:Patriot by TWX · · Score: 2

      Some would argue that the US Government is bound by the Constitution, wherever the US Government acts, and thus agents of the US Government are either subject to prosecution by the US courts whenever they violate the Constitution wherever they may be in the world, or else they are not acting on behalf of the US Government and are therefore bound by local law and subject to local prosecution.

      After all, we already have rules of war that our military is supposed to follow when deployed overseas, and there have been plenty of cases when military personnel have been prosecuted for violating those rules. Why should civilian government actors be any different?

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    5. Re:Patriot by dryeo · · Score: 2

      So find someone that believes you have no privacy since the constitution does not ever say privacy. Reading in privacy rights is "reinterpreting" the document. Expanding the listed classifications is "reinterpreting" it.

      So what is the point of the 4th amendment if not to protect privacy?

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
    6. Re:Patriot by Marful · · Score: 2

      When the crown was routinely going through people's correspondence, or barging into homes and seeing what was there, how could one not understand the Founding Fathers wanted the people to both be secure in their homes and possessions as well as have the right to privacy in their lives?

      It's like people forgot about how in the weeks prior to the battle of Lexington and Concord, the Red Coats were stopping everyone traveling, detaining them without cause and searching all of their possessions, luggage, papers in the hopes of finding documents pertaining to the rebellion or weapons / supplies that could be used to support them.

      THAT is why we have a fourth amendment. And it is DIRECTLY related to privacy. And anyone claims to be an "originalist" and denies this, isn't an originalist.

      Also, this finger pointing to these phony "originalist" as being authentic pro-constitutional people is a gross straw-man argument.

  4. there's actually no problem... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The leaks are only metadata. The data stolen with the leaks is still secret.

    Do not worry, CIA. The NSA has assured us that having our metadata stolen is nothing to be concerned over.

  5. What are the odds? by Cyberpunk+Reality · · Score: 2

    That they actually have a security breach rather than a "traitor".

    --
    Rule 35 of the internet: "If it can be hacked, it will be". - Charles Stross
  6. The administration has won by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In less than a decade, we've gone from identifying people as "whistleblowers" to labelling them as "traitors" in the mainstream news.

    The war on truth has been lost. We are all defeated.

    1. Re: The administration has won by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Political talk radio and a certain sexual predator that used to be a pundit on Fox News have doing so for decades. The Trump administration is the result of their crap for the last 30 years.

  7. Are we posting talking heads BS now then? by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 3, Insightful

    >> (random dude) told (podunk affiliate) that "My...guess is...(something)."

    So...the talking heads get quoted now too? What's the point of including this speculation?

  8. Re:Contractor .. lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    “A good scapegoat is nearly as welcome as a solution to the problem”

  9. Logic and Reason, or lack thereof by s.petry · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The 4th in particular is intended to protect Citizens, not protect the Government. The First amendment gives rights to whistle blowers, and as with the latter not to give protection to the Government. The 14th ensures that a State can not supersede the Federal Constitutional protections, so not relevant to the topic really.

    The problem with people like you who belittle the Constitution as written, and who belittle people who believe that it was intended as written, is that you ignore all of the history that goes with the Constitution. You can find all of the wisdom in the Federalist and anti-Federalist papers (the latter not being what most people believe either). You must have a delusional belief that Government intrusion and abuse of power is something the founders never saw or thought about. As with the Federalist papers and the Constitution, history in this regard is your enemy. England was paying for information, paying informants, paying propagandists, jailing and killing people who spoke out publicly against the Crown's control, etc... The only difference between today and then is the medium, the methods and purposes are the same.

    Your cute little pet names don't sway the arguments or change history.

    --

    -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    1. Re:Logic and Reason, or lack thereof by sg_oneill · · Score: 2, Informative

      Your missing the point. Theres a hell of a lot of "Originalists" who always seem to be the first to suggest changes, want clauses revoked, or happy for weird exceptions to be allowed through if thats whats required to sync their idea of politics with the constitution as written.

      How many republicans still demand prayer in school or creationionism in classrooms despite the plain languaged absolute prohibition of government religion in the first ammendment.

      And yeah libs arent much better on this, but at least thats not inconsistent with the interpretive school of constitutional thought

      --
      Excuse the Unicode crap in my posts. That's an apostrophe, and slashdot is busted.
    2. Re: Logic and Reason, or lack thereof by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The fact that you think there is a difference between protecting the citizens and the government (of the people, for the people, and by the people) shows how far off the rails we have gone. When the Constitution it's followed properly there is no difference. The fact that we often have to choose which is the now disparate groups is the problem in its entirety.

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    3. Re:Logic and Reason, or lack thereof by TWX · · Score: 2

      That's because when it comes down to it, everyone wants their own agenda, and simply makes claims about what they are to pander to who will enable them to make their agenda happen. This is why you have to look at the records of actions that people have taken in the past when evaluating the words that they say to you now. This is why it's probably a good idea for Federal office holders to have previous government experience, so that one can see how they've decided on matters in the past, as that will be the best indicator of how they'll decide in the future.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    4. Re:Logic and Reason, or lack thereof by mattmarlowe · · Score: 2, Insightful

      There is no such thing as separation of church and state in the constitution. There is just a provision blocking the creation of a government run church, e.g. the founders didn't want a Church of the USA and in the same amendment, another provision preventing the government from interfering with citizens practicing religion.....afterall, many of the original colonists left Europe/England because of state run churches like the Church of England forced people to become members or prohibited the practice of other religions. These colonists were still very supportive of government and the church working in tandem, and religious values being imposed via law, and expected prayer to happen at school. They just wanted to be able to choose the religion and not have forced membership or have government interfere with their religion.

      The fact that most American Citizens believe the constitution meant something completely different is more a result of who controls the instruction at public schools than the actual truth.

  10. I've got 15 mod points ... by CaptainDork · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ... and not one goddam comment to use them on.

    That surprises me.

    Where is the observation that the fucking CIA has a special, tiny, secret cubbyhole where they store this shit and hundreds have access to it?

    Apparently, the gubmint learned not one fucking thing from Manning and Snowden.

    And, for fuck's sake, don't use the word "treason," when it's "espionage."

    Treason has two major components that are missing in this context:

    1.) A United States Citizen declaring war on the United States. Where's that goddam manifesto? The last time that happened was the Civil War when the Confederacy committed treason.

    2.) Aiding the enemy. The United States does not have a list of enemies. The gubmint considered a list of enemies years ago, but it got complicated. There are guidelines, policies, procedures of law that go into effect for an official enemy.

    Some of those enemies are allies of our allies. Also, "enemies" is a moving target. Also, any United States company who did any sort of business with an "enemy" would be charged with treason.

    Obviously, America has morphed from a Republic to an oligarchy, and global business supersedes all other considerations.

    The last list of enemies was World War Two.

    Don't come at me with Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia.

    We are not at war with any country.

    We are at euphemistic police actions or peace-keeping with those countries.

    Thank you very much.

    I'm moving on to another Slashdot thread where some contributors need my help in getting the attention the readers deserve.

    --
    It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    1. Re:I've got 15 mod points ... by CaptainDork · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Fuck you.

      A traitor is one who commits treason.

      --
      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
  11. Re:Nothing but traitors by Narcocide · · Score: 2

    If there was any justice left in this country their datacenters would be [donated to furthering scientific research and education], and their directors sent to Camp X-Ray.

  12. Glad by AndyKron · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm glad I don't work there. Witch hunts suck.

    1. Re:Glad by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 3, Informative

      If I worked there, I'd, as their computer guy, would be like, let's build an incorruptible and un-bypassable logging system of all access to all data, and exactly what was accessed, along with a physical process whereby the elected officials in Congress on the security committees would review it all. In this way, there could be no G. Gordon Liddy type "special" agents who misuse the data to advantage this or that political faction...

      And I'd be quickly shown the door.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  13. Re:Yet another ignorant troll by ChatHuant · · Score: 2

    The reason for the Senate and Electoral college is to protect against tyranny by a minority of states with a higher population against a majority of states with less population.

    You're absolutely correct. Damn those tyrants in California for believing their vote should count the same as the vote of any other American. They need to learn that in America the rights don't belong to humans, and we're not all equal before the law. Rights belong to abstract constructs, like corporations or states or, if you're a republican, bank accounts.

    To make this clear, what do you think about formalizing it? How about making the votes of people from highly populated states only count as 3/5 of the votes of real Americans? I'm sure you'll find good precedents if you crack open this history book you mention.

  14. Re:In Germany ... by AHuxley · · Score: 4, Informative

    East Germany learned that after a massive data walk out. Every East German spy was on a list and West Germany got that list.
    In the 1960's East Germany divided its information up into groups. The spy name if needed to warn them to escape, code words, the product all went to secure locations.
    No staff member was allowed to put the parts together without in person supervision from the very top of the service.
    No more data could walk out. Staff had product to work on, spies in the West knew their real names, warning networks and escape plan was secure.

    The US idea was more about what a contractor could sell or rent to the US government. Fast data from global collection. Every interesting person had to have a bank account, fax, car phone, desktop computer, modem, email, use an online forum, smart phone, enjoy social media over the decades.
    Interesting people stay in hotel rooms with a smart TV.
    The next US idea was to pool all the data in plain text so it could be search over for decades. Everything was about the data, collection was cheap, sorting was cheap. Translation was getting better.
    The problem was the US forget that first success in East Germany. Dont keep it all together in plain text.
    The US issues is too many contractors all only understanding plain text as a policy so they can work on each others raw product.
    If raw product collected globally is encrypted once it gets to the USA, no other contractor can bid to work with the encrypted data. Thats shutting out other party politically supported contractors with interesting ideas on how to translate, sort, index or work with raw data. Political support always allowed the contractors back in to plain text so they could bid for more mil, gov work.
    Better just to secure the site, trust the contractors and have collection work with plain text. Every contractor can then bid for new work, sort, find data.

    Too many contractors got hired in the last decade, low standards in data protection got to be policy, too many new private sector staff to do any real world background security work on.
    Digital database look ups, short term internet log collection and a lie detector pass could see anyone try for US gov security access.
    US staff wanting to join should have had their entire background walked by real US gov security. School, education, friends, family, faith, politics, protests, travel, languages, books, magazines, internet logs, parents should have been looked into per application. Applicants and their life story should have been interviewed in person, in every state until US gov security was sure the applicant was not a security risk.
    Paper work in their town, city, state matched their life story? Do family and friends exist in the real world, not just as a list on a networked database in the same state?
    Hire for the US mil or gov to ensure security. Contractors are not mil or gov as they are only thinking of the next job.

    The UK and GCHQ faced most of the same issues. The UK fixed most of their staff issues by offering good wages and a real job to staff.
    Once staff have the badge, could feel part of the system, have a good wage a esprit de corp sets in.
    Staff can then plan their life, home, holidays, lifestyle based on a growing gov wage and job security with a good pension.

    The US decided to go with more plain text collection, many more contractors, more random global collection, more overtime for contractors, more movment of new contractors to random locations and ever more contractors working on plain text.
    Contractor profits are more important than security.

    The final insight is from East Germany. East Germany did not like all its spy material been on paper so it went for a new digital for a list of spies to allow for rapid contact of many of its spies in the West. That would save time to issue complex commands that could be very time sensitive. The US security services found the East German digital master list and walked out with it.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  15. Poor CIA people by Max_W · · Score: 2

    to watch and listen what usual (fat, skinny, old, etc.) people do and say before these Samsung TVs... It should be a strenuous and traumatizing job, as what is seen cannot be unseen.