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Even the CIA is developing an AI chatbot
The CIA confirmed that it’s developing an AI chatbot for all 18 US intelligence agencies to quickly parse troves of ‘publicly available’ data.
Recommended Reading: Behind the wheel of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV
Recommended Reading highlights the week's best writing on technology and more.
Jury convicts ex-CIA engineer for leaking the agency's hacking toolset
Joshua Schulte was arrested in relation to the 'Vault 7' leaks.
Senator letter claims a secret CIA surveillance program is bulk collecting data
But the program's nature remains unclear.
Recommended Reading: The CIA-owned company that helped it spy on the world
The intelligence coup of the century Greg Miller, The Washington Post This in-depth report tells the story of Crypto AG, a Switzerland-based company that achieved success for its code-making machines during World War II. The company eventually became a popular manufacturer of encryption machines for countries around the world in the decades that followed. Governments trusted that communications between diplomats, military and spies were being kept secret. What those nations didn't know was that Crypto AG as actually owned by the CIA -- originally in partnership with West German intelligence. What's more, the access allowed the two countries to to rig the tech so they could easily crack any code.
The US is suing Edward Snowden over his memoir
The United States is suing whistleblower Edward Snowden over his memoir, Permanent Record. It claims the former Central Intelligence Agency employee and National Security Agency contractor violated non-disclosure agreements with both agencies because he didn't submit the book to them for review before publication.
Hitting the Books: How legendary hackers wound up working for the CIA
Welcome to Hitting the Books. With less than one in five Americans reading just for fun these days, we've done the hard work for you by scouring the internet for the most interesting, thought provoking books on science and technology we can find and delivering an easily digestible nugget of their stories.
NSA contractor sentenced to nine years over theft of classified info
In 2016, federal agents arrested NSA contractor Harold Martin for stealing up to 50TB of classified information, and reports claimed that included offensive hacking technology designed to break into foreign computer networks. Sources for the data he took included the NSA, CIA and US Cyber Command over two decades between 1996 and 2016. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett sentenced Martin to nine years in prison for the offense -- per his plea agreement, even as each of the twenty charges against him could have carried up to a 10 year sentence -- and while that has ended the case, it didn't answer all the questions. Around that same time, the "Shadow Brokers" started leaking classified NSA hacking tools online, tools that included exploits later used by malware like NotPetya and WannaCry. According to CyberScoop, the judge noted a suspicious Twitter message linked to an account Martin supposedly operated that went out hours before the leaks, and the government declined to comment further. Prosecutors told the judge they never found proof he shared the documents from anyone, and speculation about how the group got its classified information is still unconfirmed. As for Martin, his sentence includes credit for three years already served, as well as three years of supervised release.
CIA 'Ninja bomb' replaces explosives with six long blades
The US apparently has a unique approach to minimizing bystander casualties from drone strikes: replace the warhead with old-fashioned knives. The Wall Street Journal has learned that both the CIA and the Pentagon have been using a variant of the Hellfire air-to-ground missile, the R9X (aka "Ninja bomb"), that deploys six blades moments before impact to cut through virtually anything in its path, including buildings and cars. The idea is to take out a terrorist leader or a similarly prominent target without risking the lives of nearby civilians.
The CIA is now on Instagram
The CIA launched its Instagram account on Thursday afternoon in a bid for transparency that will probably only reveal how thirsty it is for likes. Sure enough, America's top spy agency's debut post on Instagram is an obviously staged shot of a fake CIA employee's desk; complete with props that would be more at home in Harriet the Spy than Zero Dark Thirty. There is a wig disguise and a paper bag labeled "Top Secret Pulp". The caption is "I spy with my little eye...".
CIA claims Huawei is funded by Chinese state security
The US has rattled its saber more than once trying to deter countries from using Huawei technology, but it hasn't publicly disclosed much of what it's worried about. You might have a better insight after today, though. A source speaking to The Times claims that the CIA has told UK intelligence officials that Huawei has received funding from Chinese state security, including the People's Liberation Army, the National Security Commission and a "third branch" of China's state intelligence network. The CIA told the UK and the other Five Eyes nations (Australia, Canada and New Zealand) about its beliefs earlier in 2019, according to the source.
Brie Larson will star in a CIA drama for Apple
In addition to taking on the role of Captain Marvel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Brie Larson is also going to become a top line star for Apple's upcoming lineup of original content. According to Variety she has signed on to star in and executive produce a currently untitled series that will place her in the role of a CIA agent. The show will be based on a yet-to-be-published memoir from former CIA spy Amaryllis Fox.
Trump reportedly reverses Obama-era rules for US cyber operations
The Trump administration has reportedly reversed an Obama-era framework for how and when the US can use cyber attacks against foes. President Trump undid Presidential Policy Directive 20 yesterday according to the Wall Street Journal's sources, and with it reversed a classified framework detailing a multi-agency process that must be followed before carrying out an attack.
Anonymous deals with its QAnon branding problem
When you're a notorious hacking entity like Anonymous, and a pro-Trump conspiracy cult (QAnon) steals your branding (while claiming you're the impostor), the obvious thing to do is declare cyberwar. That's exactly what Anonymous did this past week in a press announcement, followed by a social media and press offensive. So far Anonymous has managed to take over QAnon's hashtags (while adding #OpQAnon and others) and dox a couple hundred members of Trump's pedophilia-obsessed, "deep state" doomsday cult. QAnon's mouthpieces responded exactly as we'd expect, with taunts and tweets saying: "These people are STUPID!! They have no brains and no skills. Typical 'empty threat' terrorists! But DO NOT click their links!! Virus city baby!!"
What legacy will WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange leave behind?
"Can you say to the American people, unequivocally, that you did not get this information about the DNC, John Podesta's emails, can you tell the American people 1,000 percent you did not get it from Russia or anybody associated with Russia?" Fox News host Sean Hannity asked Wikileaks founder, editor-in-chief and self-styled leader Julian Assange during a televised interview.
Ex-CIA engineer charged in 'Vault 7' leak
Last month when we learned that Joshua Schulte still had not been charged for allegedly providing CIA hacking information to Wikileaks despite being in custody for months, his family said he was a "scapegoat" for the data bungle. Today he was charged with 13 counts covering the alleged theft of classified information and then transferring it to an "Organization-1," obstruction of justice as well as possessing and sending child pornography. While the documents (posted by Politico) did not name the organization, Wikileaks posted several dumps of the "Vault 7" information throughout 2017. What they do reveal is that the government claims Schulte escalated his privileges for access to the info in 2016, then deleted the logs and blocked access from other users. It also claims he sent the info to Wikileaks in 2017, and then made false statements in an FBI interview to cover up the theft.
Prime suspect in CIA ‘Vault 7’ hack still hasn’t been charged
Last year WikiLeaks published a ton of secret documents about the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) hacking capabilities. The breach -- the largest loss of classified documents in the agency's history -- revealed its far-reaching abilities to snoop on modern technology, including software designed to takeover smartphones and turn smart TVs into surveillance kit. Now, the prime suspect has been identified, but despite being in prison since August, has not been charged for his role in the breach, since referred to as Vault 7.
Teen who hacked top US officials gets two years in prison
The teenager who founded the hacking group that broke into ex-CIA chief John Brennan's email has been sentenced to serve two years at a youth detention center. Kane Gamble went by the alias "Cracka" when he and his group "Crackas With Attitude" targeted top US officials, including FBI deputy director Mark Giuliano, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and their families and colleagues, a few years ago. Authorities arrested the UK native in early 2016, and he pleaded guilty to 10 hacking charges in October 2017. In addition to sentencing the now-18-year-old to two years in prison, the judge also ordered his computers to be seized.
US intelligence agencies warn buyers to avoid Huawei smartphones
After being rebuffed by carriers AT&T and Verizon, Huawei's push to sell phones in the US isn't getting any easier. Six top US intelligence chiefs, including the heads of the FBI, CIA and NSA, told Americans they wouldn't recommend buying products or services from the Chinese manufacturer, CNBC reports. "We're deeply concerned about the risks of allowing any company or entity that is beholden to foreign governments ... to gain positions of power inside our telecommunications networks," FBI Director Chris Wray testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee.
UK tribunal declares WikiLeaks a media organization
A British tribunal released a ruling today on a freedom of information case in which an Italian journalist, Stefania Maurizi, sought documents regarding WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition. While the tribunal decided that she could not get those documents due to confidentiality reasons, it did state in its summary that WikiLeaks was a media organization, which could make any US attempts at having Assange extradited more difficult.
